As the final months of the school year approach, many seniors at LHS are feeling the effects of a familiar feeling: senioritis.
Often seen as declining motivation, procrastination and increased absences, senioritis tends to appear as students begin to see the finish line of their high school careers.
For some students, senioritis has already set in.
Senior Kyler Budden said she has been struggling to stay motivated as the year winds down.
“It’s harder to want to get work done when we’re this close to being finished with high school,” said Budden.
She explained that she first started feeling senioritis about a month ago and admits to missing two to three classes a week.
Other students say they have not fully experienced senioritis yet.
Senior Reese Forseth said she still attends most of her classes and does not feel like it has affected her too much so far.
“I’m usually here and don’t miss school that often,” said Forseth.
However, she added that the feeling might start to set in soon.
“With graduation getting closer, I think it will probably start within the next month,” said Forseth.
Students say they see certain patterns among their classmates that show senioritis is spreading like wildfire. According to Forseth, many students stop putting in as much effort toward the end of the year.
“A lot of people stop showing up to class as much, and you’ll see people sleeping during lessons,” said Forseth.
Budden believes procrastination is one of the biggest signs.
“People just keep putting their work off because they know the end is coming,” said Budden.
Academic Support Center teacher Jamie Lee said she is already noticing signs this year, especially when it comes to attendance and assignments.
“Students start coming to class less often, and I see more missing work,” said Lee. “Once students have their college or post-high school plans figured out, they sometimes relax a little too much.”
Culinary arts teacher Jennifer Jillions said participation also tends to drop when students lose motivation.
“Students might show up late, stop participating in activities or rely on others to do more of the work,” Jillions said.
Many staff members believe senioritis happens because students are both burned out and excited about the future.
“A lot of seniors are just tired after so many years of school, but they are also anxiously waiting for the next chapter of their lives.” said counselor Holly Poulivaati. “They’re ready for more independence and the freedom to make their own choices.”
Karen Rogers-Kahn from the attendance office said seniors tend to have more absences and tardies than other grade levels as graduation approaches. She explained that students often give reasons such as appointments or being sick when they miss school.
The issue here is that students often don’t realize how serious attendance can be until it is too late. Aside from graduation, students can lose privileges like parking passes or even the ability to attend prom if their attendance drops.
For teachers, senioritis affects their classroom environment.
Spanish teacher Daniel Nolan-Welsher said when students lose motivation, it changes the way teachers run class.
“When students don’t want to participate or complete assignments, it can make it harder to do discussions or activities,” Welsher said.
Although senioritis has been around for generations, staff say students should still take the final months seriously.
Lee explained that falling behind late in the year can create unnecessary stress.
“There isn’t another semester to fix things,” Lee said. “Everything has to be finished before graduation.”
Despite the challenges, teachers encourage seniors to stay focused during the last stretch of the year.
“You’re so close to finishing,” Lee said. “It’s worth putting in the effort to end high school on a strong note.”
Poulivaati agrees and reminds seniors to think about the bigger picture.
“This is just a small moment in your life,” said Poulivaati. “Finish what you need to do now so you can move on to the next chapter.
