Similar to other second semester seniors, I am experiencing a bad case of “senioritis.”
The term is commonly used to describe the decline in a student’s motivation toward academic and educational responsibilities. Though not a real medical condition, the symptoms are easy to spot. Students often become lethargic and reluctant to finish or start schoolwork. Senioritis often stems from the anticipation of progressing to the next chapter of life.
“Senioritis is a real thing,” senior Kendal Behring said. “My first semester, I didn’t think it was real, but now I can barely finish my work. I’m less motivated, especially since I’ve already been accepted into college and getting up in the mornings feels so much harder.”
As students navigate through their final year of high school, teachers at Santa Fe grow increasingly aware of the threat senioritis poses. The countdown to graduation continues as educators question the best way to address the issue.
“I think trying to be as positive as possible with each student helps a lot,” Civil and Criminal Law teacher KC Williams said. “You know it is going to happen, so you prepare mentally as a teacher and try to stay focused on the end game of students being successful.”
Senior AP Literature and Composition teacher Stephanie Bray has taken a creative approach to addressing the phenomenon. Bray united her seniors under the common “enemy” of senioritis by integrating the topic into her curriculum of George Orwell’s 1984.
“In my years of teaching, I have seen a steady decline in students prioritizing their school work over TikTok and social media,” Bray said. “After looking at the finals and overall performance of last semester, I decided that something had to be done.”
Bray implemented “surveillance techniques,” assigning each student a classmate to monitor, which encouraged them to stay on top of their work, turn assignments in on time and stay off of their cellphones during class.
Overcoming the senior blues requires similar levels of focus and deduction, especially during the final stretch of high school. Maintaining communication with teachers and peers for accountability and staying concentrated on the ultimate goal of graduation will help the days fly by.
