As spring approaches, the palpable feeling of the end of the school year starts to permeate the air—more so for seniors in high school. For them, assignments feel harder to get done, class feels more tiring to attend (especially in the morning), and skipping school becomes tempting. This part of the year is commonly known as “senioritis” to most parents, students, and teachers—the period of time near the end of the school year when seniors start to fall behind with schoolwork, attendance, and other academic responsibilities.
So why exactly is the end of the year particularly difficult for seniors to get through? At least by May or even earlier, they are already committed to a college. So, as long as their grades are decent, they can afford to step back for the last few months of the school year.
In reality, “senioritis” is a symptom of the current education system. For three years, seniors are fiercely competing to get into a college, taking on as many extracurriculars, AP classes, and “leadership” roles as they can. But once they’re committed, high school loses its meaning. Because they end up dropping off at the end of the year, this exposes the truth of what school has become: a place to compete to get into a good college, rather than to learn.
Additionally, by May, many seniors are bored with the amount of busy work given. Teachers often give busy work, but since seniors are already committed, there is no longer the need to get it done. The motivator of getting into college and keeping up good grades is gone by then, so why bother?
We need to rethink the way that classes are taught—if we want to keep students engaged, even those who are about to leave high school for good, we need to find teaching methods that keep them interested. Less busy work and lectures, more hands-on learning and creative activities. If school can be more exciting and less focused on grades, maybe senioritis will become a thing of the past.
Written by Zoe Duni of Walter Johnson High School
Photo by Avery Wang of Richard Montgomery High School