Gigi Sovinski ’23

When people get into college, they start slowing down. What they forget is that rescinding applications is real and actually happens. A part of senioritis is depression and anxiety. Senior year is stressful and can be very hard on people. You feel like you’re falling behind or disappointed because people are getting into colleges while some get rejected from colleges they really like. There’s also the feeling that the people around you are succeeding when you feel like you aren’t. I have definitely felt the fear that I am not going to get into the colleges I really like. The combination of fear or an inflated or deflated ego can lead to a lack of motivation to do schoolwork. 

Rosie Taranta ’23

As I have gotten into college and am almost positive I know where I am going, it has been really hard for me to sit down and put my best work into school. This has been more of an issue with tests rather than homework because I can usually get homework done with much less effort than studying. But with tests and quizzes, I am often questioning what I am studying for. Although I have always fallen victim to academic validation, this year it has been much less important to my well-being. Because I know what I am doing next year, and I know I am not the type of person to completely give up on school, I know there is no need to pull out my hair from stressing about school so much. 

Henry Planet ’23

Especially for someone who has ADHD and who is already impacted by difficulties paying attention and keeping on task. The lack of motivation that I have experienced since getting into college only exacerbates the problem. Senioritis isn’t necessarily laziness but an overall feeling of apathy toward completing tasks. The stakes feel so much lower, and it feels like the pressure is off so all the energy and motivation to push myself in the last few months of my senior year just dissipates. I no longer feel like excelling or getting ahead but am satisfied with the bare minimum, or even less.

Lily Brin ’23

I have always heard people talk about senioritis, and I was kind of convinced it was an optional feeling of being just done with school. But I realize it is so much more different and complex. For me, senioritis doesn’t mean that I have stopped doing my work. It is more just this feeling of a lack of motivation when I go home after practice, and there is not an ounce of my soul that wants to do my homework. I actually have very little trouble staying engaged and passionate about my class-work. But the idea of doing more work at home has become increasingly difficult. Overall I still feel I am a perfectionist in many ways so I haven’t allowed myself to be too loose with my work, but it has just become a lot harder to get myself to do it. All I really want to do after school now is hang out with my friends because I think another aspect of senioritis is realizing how little time we have left in the school year.  

Lucy Rupertus ’23

I think students find motivation in the idea that bad grades will equate to them having a harder time in the college application process. If you feel like you need incredible grades to get into the college of your dreams, you will work as hard as you possibly can. Then when your applications are submitted and, for some, your acceptances are received, it becomes harder and harder to find motivation. Without the fear factor of not being able to get into the colleges that you want to get into, you have to find motivation elsewhere, which can be hard for students. I have been able to stay motivated in classes that I’m passionate about, but in the classes that I wasn’t as excited about, I’ve had to work hard to fight off the temptation to enter a senior slump. As someone who gets really anxious about grades, I’ve still been able to complete all of my work (because it would stress me out not to), but I have found that assignments bring me less stress (and therefore I’m less motivated) than they had in previous years, and even in the first semester of senior year.

Uma Vincent ’23

Before the start of the second semester, I repetitively said “I don’t think senioritis will affect me!” I was wrong. On the first day of the third quarter, I felt like I had been hit by a senioritis truck out of nowhere. Once my work for college was done, I was relieved, but that feeling was quickly replaced by the uselessness of being at school with nothing going on. Though I do care about my classes and enjoy spending my time at school, this time of the second semester is a painful waiting period. I still put effort into schoolwork, though a lot of it feels mundane when we are done with classes in two and a half months. I enjoy spending time with my friends and teachers at school, but it took a lot of pushing to get myself back into a place where I am energetic enough to be present. Whether you’re waiting for college decisions or to graduate, I can guarantee that you, along with most of my peers and myself will be affected by senioritis in some way.

Christian Sun ’23

Senioritis has affected me, but it hasn’t really affected my grades yet. I don’t necessarily think the quality of my work has gone down at all; I just put things off until the last minute. Sometimes I will submit assignments late, but teachers at Friends Select are usually pretty forgiving. I feel like I’ve become more unmotivated with sports than with anything else. I also play a lot of Tetris in class, but I don’t think that that’s affected me that much.

Lena Kinser ’23

I think senioritis affects people at different times. For some, it’s at the start of the school year and continues all the way until graduation.  For others, the senioritis doesn’t begin to hit until you are accepted into colleges. This is when many begin to question “why am I still here.” Personally, once I knew where I was going for college, I became burned out very easily. I didn’t try as hard on assignments, but it helped me to let go of my need to overexert myself to do well in school. I was able to prioritize my mental health, and still complete an assignment but not as high of a caliber. I am starting to let go of always doing what I think will appease teachers.