Senioritis is a term brought up each year by high school seniors everywhere. It is characterized by a lack of motivation, energy, and effort as students reach the end of their courses. Some argue senioritis is just an excuse to slack off and avoid responsibilities. Truthfully, senioritis is not a recognized medical condition or mental health disorder. On a cellular level, one cannot catch a case of senioritis. Regardless, throughout high schools across the country, seniors claim this disease spreads like an epidemic.
According to Hillary Shields, a Southern New Hampshire University professor, further symptoms of senioritis include “a drop in grades, not completing assignments, procrastination, and a loss of interest in studies.” In more severe cases, Shields continues, “students may even start skipping classes altogether.”
The causes of senioritis vary. As Grand Canyon University professor Tim Griffin puts it, “worrying about the unknown along with burnout” are two major factors that can lead to senioritis. More specifically, some students experience detachment anxiety when anticipating leaving the comfort of their high school routines, while others feel burnt out from years of academic pressure and high expectations.
At Ipswich High School, the class of 2025 has long been recognized for its dedication to academic excellence. Many students find themselves taking rigorous courses while balancing a plethora of extracurricular activities. This student body has consistently demonstrated ambition and resilience concerning school; however, as the past three years begin to take their toll, one must ask: Has senioritis taken hold of Ipswich High School? Is the Class of 2025 facing a full-blown outbreak?
Ipswich senior, Ryan “Means” Meaney, shares insightful firsthand experience on this subject, as he believes, “others would agree when I say I have most definitely contracted senioritis.” When asked about the start of his symptoms, Means recalls that “at the start of the year, I had to try as hard as I wanted to get a hockey commitment.” After committing to spend the next year at Bridgton Academy, he admits, “my productivity has taken a drop.”
For Meaney, senioritis is not just about losing motivation, but rather a natural shift in priorities. “Senioritis should be defined as being done with high school, maybe like growing out of it.” Instead of focusing on academics, his mindset has changed to “just making it to graduation.”
A different perspective comes from senior Frances Hertz, who says “not being committed to a school” has compelled her to keep trying. She explains that she has “always tried in school” and uses the simple but effective strategy of “staying on top of work so it does not build up.” Hertz highlights the importance of maintaining academic discipline, even in the final stretch of high school.
Her experience suggests that full-fledged senioritis is not inevitable for everyone; however, Hertz admits to experiencing the onset of symptoms, as her “motivation has decreased” this year compared to previous years.
While Ryan and Frances illustrate different sides of the spectrum regarding senioritis, they are not representative of the whole IHS population. Mrs. Manos, an Ipswich math teacher of over 30 years, is certain the disease is real. “I absolutely believe in senioritis. I have seen it all my teaching career, and I’ve been teaching since the early 80s.” Manos has had the class of 2025 since they were freshmen and has observed firsthand how the behavior of the graduating class changed this year in comparison to previous years. “I noticed this year’s senior class has already gotten senioritis.” Furthermore, she claims the majority of her students contracted the infection “after winter break,” but notes how symptoms for some students began “even in September.”
In general, for the students in Mrs. Manos’ class, senioritis has not “hurt anyone” academically, as they are “really great students.” Nevertheless, Manos has examined a decrease in seniors’ enthusiasm to do work.
The class of 2025 is not immune, as both students and teachers have noticed a shift in behavior as the year progresses. Whether senioritis manifests in a refusal to do work or simply a decline in motivation, it is conclusive that it has infested the halls of Ipswich High School. While it may not be a medical condition, it reflects a natural part of the high school experience and, thus, is important for both students and teachers to find ways to navigate this phase of high school until graduation.
