As the final months of high school creep closer, seniors everywhere find themselves caught in a strange paradox: the finish line is in sight, yet the motivation to keep running has vanished. Call it “senioritis,” the unofficial epidemic that swaps ambition for apathy and homework for daydreams of freedom.
Social studies teacher Riley Zea believes that senioritis is a very real phenomenon, she said. However, it affects students differently, she added.
“I think it can be a problem for some seniors, where it ends up being that they maybe are nearing not graduating because of it,” Zea said. “But for most seniors, it’s kind of just they feel like they’ve put in their dues, they’ve done their time, and they’re ready to kick back and kind of chill, especially after those college announcements come out.”
Social studies teacher Brian Knitter believes that senioritis affects all facets of students’ education, he said.
“So it starts with homework and classwork not getting done or on time, which then lowers test scores, then the grade lowers, and attendance drops,” Knitter said. “That’s the thing that you see most often that actually annoys the teachers is, you know, they’re trying to do group activities, and there’s no group because half the class is out.”
Math teacher Ivy Nguyen wants to remind seniors, and other students, to not lose sight of the finish line, she said.
Seniors have “worked so hard to get to where you don’t want to put that in jeopardy by not performing at the level that you usually do,” Nguyen said. “It does make sense to want to take a break before you’re in college, but at the same time you don’t want those habits to follow you in college because things are a lot more high stakes than in high school.”
Knitter tends to focus on uncovering the root of the issue when a student starts slacking off before addressing the so-called symptoms, like missing assignments, he said. Knitter also spends a lot of time trying to ground students and prepare them for reality after high school, he added.
“I also remind students that everybody’s on a different path to success, and success is maybe not an Ivy League college,” Knitter said. “Some are destined to trade schools, some are not destined to go to college at all, and that’s okay.”
Knitter works with struggling students to make sure they aren’t getting overwhelmed, and to get their work done slowly, step by step, he said. He also makes it a point to try and teach useful life skills, he added.
“I teach in classes: ‘Hey, here’s a list of things you have to do today; what’s the best way to do it?” Knitter said. “And it turns out the best way to do it is to do the most important thing first, even if you don’t want to. That simple step alone will save a lot of stress, (…) and it is important to get it out of your way.”
Knitter noticed that Covid-19 had a major impact on students’ motivation to learn, he said.
“I’m mostly seeing, and I hate to say this, is for the last few years, students don’t strive for success,” Knitter said. “They want to do the minimum, and it’s hurting the way I teach, it’s hurting the students as they aren’t growing up as fast. The students themselves seem less resilient, more prone to stress.”
Knitter wholeheartedly believes in risk-taking and that students who avoid risks are only limiting themselves and their potential, he said.
“Throughout life, people who succeed are ones who try – they take a risk,” Knitter said. “I’m big on that in my classroom. My students don’t necessarily buy into it, but being from a semiconductor background myself, those who risk will succeed. They’ll fail spectacularly, and they will learn from it. But if you’re too afraid to fail, you will not succeed. So try.”
Zea finds it important and crucial to make time to care for yourself in this pivotal moment of your life, she said.
“There’s a lot happening, and it’s okay to say ‘no’ to some things,” Zea said. “I will say that, take care of yourself. If you need help, ask for help. I have a lot of people who refuse to ask for help, and I think that it’s an important life skill.”