CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL- The first time I heard seniors complaining about senioritis was as a junior, during my math class. We had to do an exam review, and it was then that they started complaining about the workload that we were getting. Me being me, I told them that we were almost done, and that all we had to do was keep up the grind for a month longer. Looking back, that statement makes me laugh. Now, with the collision of spring fever and senioritis, I don’t feel like doing anything at all, and if a junior came up and told me to grind, I would just laugh to myself, much like the seniors last year were probably laughing at me.

So, what is senioritis? Far from being a medical condition (although seniors might disagree), senioritis is just a feeling of lethargy that envelopes most, if not all seniors by the end of first semester. And bring into question spring fever, which makes everyone lazy, the combination of spring fever and senioritis after spring break has most seniors struggling to cope with their workload, not out of difficulty, but from lack of motivation.

“I stopped worrying about homework and tests… it’s like a last minute scramble and throwing things for assignments,” says senior Nidhi Gelli.

Completing work has become more difficult, and it’s harder than ever to find a way to incentivize yourself to excel in your academics.

“It creates a lack of motivation to do the best you can… you just want to do the bare minimum,” adds Uswa Saeed, one of the senior editors-in-chief of Cen10 News.

And a lot of the other seniors agree. With their college applications done, and some even already committed, all seniors really have to do to graduate is pass their classes. And this lack of incentive creates a sense of lethargy that most seniors struggle to overcome.

“[Sometimes] I will start doing homework, and then fall asleep at my desk,” reveals senior Pranhitha Anoop.

However, not everyone believes this way.

“I think the important thing is to remember the motivation for choosing your courses and your extra-curriculars in the first place,” says senior Vignesh Anand.

Hang in there seniors! We’re almost done. Keep up the great work you’ve been putting in so far for a few more weeks, and I wish you all the best for your future!

P.S. – To read more on how to actually avoid feeling lazy, read Uswa Saeed’s article on academic burnout and how to avoid it.