The majority of senior year is comprised of writing essays, finalizing test scores, college visits galore, and meetings with Mr. Petrone and Ms. Miller. After months of dedication and preparation, you finally hit the submit button. Emotions come flooding in and you feel empty- like a part of you has gone missing. You think the worst is over, but then you enter into this thing called the waiting game – where you are unsure of your future as you wait for decisions to be released. Consequently, one may often become lazy, adopting something called…senioritis. 

Senioritis may be defined as having no motivation to attend school, to complete school work, or to perform well on tests. It is one of the most common and un-curable diseases.

However, there is a way to stay committed to school and to fight these temptations. One of the best ways to combat senioritis is to think about how much time and energy you devoted to school for 3.5 years. You gave your life to school and created something to be proud of, something that reflects you and the knowledge you have acquired. Do you really want to throw away everything you created and finish high school without trying? This will not only wreck your GPA, but in years to come when looking back at high school, you will always remember how you finished terribly and did not put your best work forward. These thoughts will haunt you forever! 

Another way to combat senioritis is to remember that your grades do still matter. What if, in the worst case scenario, you get waitlisted at your dream school? You will need to send your quarter 3/final grades to this school to show them that you do indeed belong in that community. If you stop trying in school though, you can hurt your case which could ultimately stop you from being able to live out your dream at this college. 

Lastly, if one falls into the vicious senioritis cycle, once college starts, it will be very hard to get back into the groove of things. However, if you never stop trying, you will be better accustomed to your new school work. Keep your eye on the prize and finish high school stronger than you started so for the rest of your life you can be at peace because you did the very best you could!