Senior year is meant to be a time of celebration and enjoyment of the time you have left with your friends. But often, that’s not the case. Many 12th graders suffer from a crippling sickness commonly known as “Senioritis.” The other slim percentage think they are immune. But just wait — the poor suckers will probably contract it come second semester.

Students who have not yet reached the top of the food chain just don’t understand how weakening senioritis can be. The disease will bring you to your knees and leave you begging for mercy.  

Side effects of Senioritis include laziness, lack of motivation, countdowns to graduation, plummeting grades, and major procrastination. And there is only one known cure: Graduation.

At this point in the school year, a lot of seniors have already received their acceptance letters from colleges, which only makes the disease more debilitating. Being accepted to your school of choice makes what little motivation many students have left go wither and die. You know you now have somewhere to go next year. Even so, while in the grip of all the debilitating symptoms, many seniors seriously consider simply committing to BYU: Backyard University.  

Senioritis is widespread among students, and teachers and staff see its effects firsthand. Aeronautics teacher Amy Archer states, “It’s a real thing. I see senioritis as a real thing, not as laziness, but as stress. There’s a lot going on your senior year and kids start to get overwhelmed and when students this age get overwhelmed, they start to shut down.”

As someone who teaches every grade-level, Mrs. Archer is able to see students progress from freshmen to sophomores to juniors, and finally to seniors. The regression of motivation and optimism is easy for her to chart. 

But don’t just take Mrs. Archer’s word for it, senior Hannah Holmes also explains, “By senior year, we are all so burnt out. I feel like the more work I have, the less motivation I have to do it. This leads to more work piling up. Honestly, I’m just trying to do what I need to make it to May.”

Hannah knows what she’s talking about.  So many seniors slow their momentum as the year moves forward; many have gotten into the habit of doing the bare minimum to pass and get the grades needed to graduate. 

This is not okay. Senioritis is debilitating and destructive and a cure must be found.

In honor of this dreadful disease, a Go Fund Me account has been established as we race for a cure. Well, let’s rephrase that… as we sort of, kind of, well… maybe tomorrow think about starting to find a cure.