Whether you are coining the term right now or waiting to use it in a few years and wondering why “junioritis” isn’t as socially acceptable, you are probably quite familiar with the word.
Senioritis is not a clinical term, or a disease that affects the cells of your body. It is more of a social construct, and is actually a real word defined in the Oxford dictionary as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” Put simply, senioritis is intense burnout. Many students, after working endlessly for four years of an academic journey, lose all motivation near the end of it. Usually accompanied with tardiness, absences or lower grades, senioritis has tangible consequences that are felt by both the burnt out individual and their community.
But is senioritis really a widespread problem? Is it something that we should be concerned about, or is it just a social construct that gives seniors the excuse to slack off? I asked multiple students if senioritis was real, and they all said yes. Infact, 78% of high school seniors across the country experience it in some form according to ACC.
As a current senior, surrounded by seniors, yes, senioritis is real. Senioritis is basically intense academic exhaustion or fatigue, which is not exclusive to seniors only. I actually experienced burnout during my junior year as well. However, senior year burnout, especially during the second semester, is unlike any burnout I have experienced.
Highschoolers and college students alike spend four years striving to be on top of our grades, building their resumes, taking standardized tests solely for the purpose of getting into a prestigious university or grad school. They overwork themselves to over-achieve, juggling too many extracurriculars, clubs and AP classes. What happens is that after a grinding college-application season, they feel like their end-goal has been reached. They’ve applied to college. What’s the point of trying in school now? Not only is that motivation gone, but the buildup of overtaxing academic work results in an ultimate collapse in energy and effort capacity.
Senioritis, or burnout, can also severely impact people’s physical and mental health. According to Mayo Clinic, results of burnout include feeling drained, sleep deprivation, being sad, angry, irritable or not caring, using more alcohol or other substances, getting heart disease, high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes and being more likely to get sick. These are all real impacts of something as simple as job or academic fatigue. Thus, senioritis should be prioritized as a bigger issue. It shouldn’t be regarded as a silly excuse, but a bigger problem that many students–freshmen, sophomores and juniors included–experience daily. Mental health resources should constantly be available at an academic institution to help support those who are struggling and facing the brunt of academic stress.
If you are going through burnout or senoritis right now, this is a reminder to take care of yourself. Don’t hold yourself to high standards and promote unrealistic academic expectations for yourself as you have been the past 3+ years. Take time for yourself, and relax. Have rest days. Promote your mental health. Do things that make you happy and make you feel well rested. At the end of the day, your health is much more important than your weighted GPA or your SAT score.
Written by Noor Mahmoud
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons