It’s something that many high schoolers are faced with, but is it real? Senioritis seems like an epidemic to many. Seniors seem to be overwhelmed when they have to think about their future. Thoughts of what will happen next after high school, such as adulting, college, or work can lead seniors to feel as though they are flooded with stress. Getting good grades and keeping up attendance weighs down seniors, resulting in “senioritis”. When the second semester strikes, seniors just want it to be over and done. They are ready to graduate, but they just have a lack of motivation to do so. They become lazy, lose sleep and fall behind on their grades and daily tasks.

Some seniors, however, do not fall into this mindset. These teens seem to be a couple steps ahead of the pack. They have their goals mapped out, and they are prepared. They have the energy and drive that makes them ready to get out into the real world. They do not let the thoughts of graduating get to them, they just use it as a little more inspiration to get things done. These are the seniors that are ready to begin their adult life.

However, some students are still plagued by the phantom that is senioritis. Elise Stoike, a senior at Alliance High School, says that she has senioritis. Elise is ready to graduate, but she doesn’t exactly have the motivation and energy to get there. Elise has good grades, she’s in numerous clubs, and she’s a three sport athlete; however, as the year nears to an end, she finds that it is becoming harder and harder to do anything at all. She says, “Senioritis is so real. To me, it is basically wanting to graduate but not wanting to do any of the work to finish the year out and get there.”

Many students, like Elise, struggle with “senioritis”. They are finding it harder and harder to get out of bed and finish their school work. They grow tired and unmotivated easily and say that they are yet another a victim of senioritis; however, there are a couple rare seniors who don’t believe in senioritis at all.

Madison Gibson, a senior at Alliance High School, believes that senioritis is not real. She says that it is, “just a made up ‘condition’ seniors can say they have in order to be lazy.” Madi is a motivated and energetic student and athlete. She has kept up her good grades. She is student council president, and she’s on the cheer squad. She says, “With everything I have done to succeed in my high school career, I can’t just give up when I’m so close to being done!” She has a much more positive outlook on it all. She believes these last few months should amount to something, so she is working harder now than she has her whole high school career. She is bound and determined to finish strong. She says, “People who say they have senioritis are really people who don’t have true commitment to things. Sure, sometimes I don’t want to go to school and sometimes I’m too tired to work, but that means nothing!” Madi is looking forward to conquering her goals and moving on to the next step in life.

There’s nothing wrong with losing a little bit of energy, but is it really a condition? Or is it just an excuse for seniors to be lazy? Whether or not senioritis is real, seniors should not let a phantom “condition” get in their paths of achieving their goals. As long as they can stay motivated and on task, then they most likely won’t struggle.