5 Things You’ll Relate to If You’re Suffering From a Serious Case of Senioritis
"Senioritis" is defined as "a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance."
Second semester senior year is a time to relax, enjoy your last few months of high school and have fun, but it's also important to keep in mind that the journey isn't completely over just yet.
That said, sometimes those last few months get the best of us—and if you're suffering from a serious case of senioritis, you'll relate to the five things below:
A Complete Lack of Motivation
Once your second semester of senior year comes around, it's totally normal to experience a lack of motivation to do things like study and complete your homework on time. While staying on top of your school work is always important, it's understandable that after three-and-a-half years of working very hard (including at least a year or so where you were also going on college tours, studying for standardized tests and perfecting college application essays), you'd be more than ready to cut yourself some slack. After all, your college applications have already been submitted and you might even know which college or university you'll be heading to in the fall.
However, while it's true that test scores don't matter as much as they did in earlier semesters, you should still take pride in your work and want to end your high school career on a high note. Even if you've already been accepted to a school, they won't be happy if your grades start slipping too much.
Caring About Grades a Little Lot Less
If you were particularly focused on getting good grades during high school so you would have as many options as possible when college application time rolled around, you might notice yourself caring a little less about test scores once second semester senior year hits, especially if you've already been accepted to one of your top choice schools.
Again, like the lack of motivation, this mindset is totally normal and, in a way, justified. You've likely worked incredibly hard for three and a half years (or more) and now it's time to enjoy the last few months of your high school experience before a new phase of your life kicks off. Just make sure you don't get too comfortable.
Feeling Like a Total Boss at School
Second-semester seniors rule the school, and they know it. The freshman, sophomores and juniors are all envious of your status as people who are almost done with high school, which means you'll probably feel the understandable impulse to walk around like you own the place and look down on those who have a year or more to go before their college careers start. This also translates to things such as getting the best parking spot, getting to go off campus more frequently and getting a prime table at lunch. Enjoy it while you can, because in a few months you'll be back at the bottom of the totem pole.
(Mean Girls via Paramount Pictures)
An Overwhelming Feeling of Nostalgia
While there's a definite sense of freedom that comes with second-semester senior status, it's also likely that you may start to feel a bit nostalgic and even sad about the impending end of your time in high school. As the year winds down, you'll start to experience a lot of "lasts"—like the last homecoming dance, the last football game and the last picture day—that really drive home the idea that your life will look very different in a short amount of time. Feeling nostalgic is totally normal and even healthy, and it shows that you'll look back on at least portions of your high school career very fondly.
An Eagerness to Move on to the Next Phase of Your Life
Even if you're nostalgic and ambivalent about leaving high school behind once and for all, as a second-semester senior, you'll likely also experience an acute sense of readiness and desire to move on to the next phase of your life. Chances are you'll be yearning for new friendships, relationships and yes, even new subjects to learn about and study. This means you've gotten the most you can out of your high school experience, and are ready to grow in various ways and take on more responsibility.
(Grown-ish via Freeform)
For more high school content, click HERE to read up on everything you need to do as soon as you fail a test.