A dangerous plague has been steadily infecting the upperclassmen of Key West High School (KWHS) for years now. Its symptoms may include procrastination, skipping school, and overall laziness. The diagnosis? Senioritis. 

Senioritis is a decline in motivation in academics that usually strikes students in their last year of high school. Hunter Rogers-Leon, a senior at KWHS, explained how easily senioritis can creep up on a student. “Senioritis occurs when you are so close to the high school finish line. You have little left to go, and this reassurance causes you to slow down rather than speed up!” 

Rogers-Leon continues with how he has personally been afflicted. “Admittedly, I am no exception to the plague of senioritis, and procrastination levels [for me] are at an all-time high… with so much going on with college applications and decisions, my grades have taken the backseat. Also, having known I have been accepted to Universities already relieves some of the necessary anxiety.” 

Daniel Boggs, another senior at KWHS, related to Rogers-Leon’s sentiments regarding the slippery slope of senioritis. “I feel senioritis because a few things in my life feel like a better experience right now, and not attending school is very stress relieving. However, this ends up contradicting itself as work begins to pile from not attending, causing more stress.” At the moment, not going to school for a day sounds pretty appealing. Yet, as the absences and homework pile up, the stress seems to turn into a mountain.

Also sharing her struggle with senioritis, Emily Bracher revealed, “For me, senioritis is the pushing off of all work because I’m at the point of my k -12 education where I’m nearing the end. It’s my kryptonite.” Nevertheless, she hopefully added, “I feel the symptoms of senioritis every day, but I just have to remind myself that I’m almost to the finish line.”

Bracher commented on the root cause for her lack of motivation as she comes so close to the end. “I don’t have many classes and I’m so focused on what’s to come, it’s hard to focus on what’s going on now.” Boggs offered an alternative reason for his case of senioritis. “Taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes is exhausting, and along with being far from my school, it’s easy to not want to go. It takes two hours to drive from school and back [for me] and with a car, spare money, and friends with free periods, the loss of attention on school is vast.” While reaching for the first few steps of independence, adulthood brings a lack of focus on the present that can set students back in the seemingly meaningless issues of high school. 

However, Rogers-Leon concluded senioritis will not get the best of him. “I have always been one that values finishing strong, so being so close to the end functions as a double-edged sword. Although I am more forgiving towards my ‘lazy days’, I am still determined to continue the legacy I have led on thus far into my final moments rather than undermining it.”

 Focus is imperative when battling the final stages of adolescence and saying goodbye to the chapter of childhood. Though it may seem trivial at times, finishing the very end of the four long years of high school in a strong place is very much worth it. Stay focused!