As we enter the home stretch for the class of 2024, motivation for seniors is at an all time low. For some, the drive to get school work done has fallen off as graduation approaches. For others, even showing up to school has become a struggle.
As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, senioritis is, “A supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” Senioritis is a universal phenomenon that is understood by seniors everywhere. But what does senioritis look like at Lincoln?
Anja Floisand, a senior (obviously), attributes most of her lack of motivation to her college commitment. Floisand already knows she will be attending Whitman College in the fall.
“Sometimes I don’t see the point in doing anything,” She explained. “The fact that I already know what I’m going to be doing for the next 4 years makes it feel like high school should just be over.”
Sometimes senioritis culminates in a lack of productivity during class, other times it results in students not coming to class at all. Floisand said that she had several “sick” days in which she was skiing with some friends. However, she requested that her total absence tally was not made public.
Senior Alexa Horten does not share this same concern. “I’ve been to my baking and pastry class 4 times this semester.” (This number was reported on February 28th and has likely increased at least a little.)
Senioritis doesn’t always lead to a mountain of absences though. Despite his wishes, Theo Shernoff, another senior, says that his parents won’t approve of any type of skipping. “I won’t have access to a car if I’m late too much or if I skip any class.”
Shernoff says his despite his good attendance, his lack of motivation is still very real. When asked to rank his lack of motivation on a scale from 1 to 10, he rated it an 8. For now, despite his lack of motivation, Shernoff’s car privileges’ remain above any type of skipping he would like to partake in.
The way senioritis manifests itself varies, but the reasons for a lack of motivation going into second semester senior year remain. With college applications mostly over and decisions coming out, there is no longer external motivation from creating an appealing resume for colleges.
Whether seniors at Lincoln are taking scheduled sick days or their productivity at school has taken a hit, senioritis is a very real thing. If you pop your head into a senior class as we continue to march towards graduation, you might see a lack of hard work going on among the people there. That is, if there are people there at all.
