Grades of Seniors are Dropping and here is Why

Seniors are the people whom many underclassmen want to emulate.  They are viewed as people who have it all figured out, but that is rarely the case. I can speak for most seniors when I say we have trouble figuring out what is going on most of the time, too. Life can be confusing in the transitioning stage of becoming an adult. 

Suddenly, responsibility is placed on us to make decisions that have lifelong consequences.  Increased stress to pick a college, a major, and a future career, all come flooding in at once. While some people have clear ambitions they are willing to pursue, not everyone has this clarity.  

“Senioritis” is an official term that dates back to 1907. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines it as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” It is described as a feeling of exhaustion that occurs in the final part of senior year.  Many have experienced it firsthand without even realizing it. 

A group, Omniscient, published a study demonstrating that 78% of all seniors nationwide claimed to show signs of senioritis in some shape or form. That is almost 4 out of 5 seniors. Consider this figure only includes seniors willing to admit their shortcomings.  Some might be too prideful to admit it, but the fact is that it is affecting virtually all of us.

As I look around I can see this happening within me and my peers. Some seniors have already been accepted into the college they wish to attend and believe they do not have to try hard anymore for a high grade-point average (GPA). Many seniors have the necessary credits required for some of their fields giving them false confidence they can afford to fail some classes.

What some people do not understand is that Colleges and Universities have the option to rescind acceptance to their school.  If grades plummet by a large degree in senior year or issues with behavior, the law, or other factors ensue, students will likely lose the college slot they were originally offered.  

While some are prepared for life in a new environment after high school, others are not. A dreading fear of the unknown can subconsciously affect leading to a lack of motivation to keep moving forward. For others, it is the opposite due to the excitement about their new lives.  This often results in disregarding what is important for them at the moment, completing high school, and living as if they are already in the future. 

Many of those suffering from senioritis are putting in the bare minimum to pass their classes this time of the school year.   I have fallen victim to this mentality as well. We are used to the established rules in each class and have found ways to do only what is needed of us without much effort. 

The main focus of seniors is to earn our class credits. Whether or not the course information is retained, the goal is to get through the class. It is not a good mentality to have when it comes to being prepared,  but most do not have the energy to listen and retain every little detail anymore. 

With senioritis being a hot topic with seniors and teachers towards the end of the year, some have come to accept it as something they will have to deal with. Some make excuses using senioritis as the reason for failing assignments towards the end of the year. Even though many have come to accept burnout as an easy way to be lazy, the fact is that we are in control of our own lives. 

 People should not treat these issues as trivial because so many others are doing the same.  I am not perfect in this matter, far from it. I know how it feels to be so close to the end and just want to get it over with. 

The way that I choose to approach this loss of energy is to take every day one at a time. Think of the time between the end and now as less of a drag and more as one final stretch because we are almost there. We must savor our final days of high school because even though we are groaning at the slow, passing days, we might have regrets when it is over.

It is stressful to think about college and it will be harder than what we are doing now. But just as we overcame high school, the same will be done in college if we commit and put in enough effort. Keep rolling with the punches and never stop trying, even if it feels so good to do so.  Mindset matters.

Ian Valenzuela | ivalenzuela@theaskacademy.org | ASK Catalyst Writer