The cases are starting to rack up as we reach the middle of winter. The symptoms are brutal. Laziness, lack of motivation, school absences, intense procrastination, and lots and lots of stress. Each year with the arrival of the second semester, Senioritis cases skyrocket.

Senioritis is like a disease that infects mostly high school seniors the months leading up to their graduation. Many seniors have their college plans in place by this time of the year, which can make it hard to stay focused on wrapping up your high school experience. That being said, most colleges do not require students to submit second semester score reports, so motivation to succeed in school is at an all time low during the last few months of the school year. 

Senioritis returns every year without fail, and the symptoms are beginning to cultivate in the class of 2021. The key difference this year is that classes are completely online. That makes it even easier for students to disregard their schoolwork, since it doesn’t feel the same. 

Senior Claire Tamer is one of many students who has experienced senioritis in an online school environment. 

“Online school has made it much harder for me to stay motivated because there’s less pressure to do it since we don’t have to see our teachers in person” she said. 

Senior Stephanie Glaspie has experienced a similar situation: “I find it harder to stay motivated during online learning because there are less deadlines for things,” she said, “It’s more about what you want to do rather than having mandatory assignments.”

Another aspect that feeds into senioritis in the final semester of high school is that most colleges don’t require students to send in their second semester transcript. Although some universities may request students to send scores, a good majority of them do not. This can be another reason why seniors don’t see their grades as that important, and may cause a lack of motivation to succeed. 

Despite the fact that this isn’t exactly the ideal senior year, students are still trying to keep their head up. 

“Especially with remote learning I have extreme senioritis,” Tamer said, “I will still try to keep my good grades in the second semester because I still think it’s important even though I already got into the college I want to go to.”

Glaspie is also putting her best foot forward despite the undesirable circumstances.

“I don’t need to send my second semester scores,” she said,“ second semester will not impact my future, but regardless I will try my best.”

Sitting in front of a computer screen for four and a half hours of classes, extracurricular club meetings, and an additional surplus of online homework can feel tedious and mentally draining. 

Experiencing school in an environment that is constantly changing is difficult. With the prospect of going back to the hybrid model in February, there are some mixed emotions. Some people are looking forward to it, while others have grown accustomed to virtual learning. 

“Since in person school isn’t how it used to be, I don’t mind staying online,” Tamer said, “but I do want to have things such as prom and graduation.”

Glaspie on the other hand is looking forward to seeing her peers again. 

“I would love to go back and be able to see everyone in person before we graduate and go our separate ways,” she said. 

Overall, finding motivation for online learning during the final months before graduation can be tough. Senioritis is becoming more common, and some students are struggling. So what can teachers do to help combat this issue?

Glaspie finds it difficult to find motivation when the assignments are optional, so she thinks creating more deadlines would be beneficial for her. 

Tamer has a slightly different view on the matter.

“To help us stay attentive in class teachers can try to make all the lessons as fun and entertaining as possible,” she said.

It’s safe to say that this school year didn’t start as planned thanks to the unpredictable circumstances that took place. Teachers, students, and parents all had to make adjustments and this year hasn’t been easy on anybody. Despite the difficulties, students are continuing to try their best to push for success as we transition into the second semester. Although a mostly virtual last year of high school has been a big adjustment and a hard reality to face for many seniors, hope has not been lost.