As graduation draws nearer, more seniors are hearing about the dreaded academic burnout labeled as senioritis. “Once the words spread, you start getting it,” Lucas, a senior, said. “Everyone falls into the culture.” But what exactly is senioritis?

Senioritis is a term addressed to seniors. According to snhu.edu, it is the ebbing motivation felt by students when it comes to school. It is most common amongst seniors in their second term, when they’re on the brink of graduating. High school’s almost over. Most students finished applying and already got accepted to colleges, resulting in missing assignments and late attendances. 

Many students use the word without care. “Senioritis is a good word that describes how I feel,” an anonymous source says. This anonymous source had already got accepted into a college. Although they keep up with their assignments, they definitely don’t have the same passion or drive compared to their past years. “I just don’t feel like doing anything.” 

It’s an easy and apt description to describe how people feel. 

However, a good proportion of students dislike the term.

 “We’ve worked hard for 3 1⁄2 years,” an anonymous source said. Using the term “undermines our hard work instead of honoring it.”

“The term has a negative connotation,” Mariem, a senior, said. “It’s like saying high schoolers are slacking. They’re less focused on schoolwork and more on having fun.” Due to the term senioritis, seniors are often associated with traits like laziness and a general sense of detachment. It’s like saying some seniors are skipping school and missing assignments on purpose, and while that may be true for some, it is certainly not for all.

“I attribute my senioritis to not sleeping well.”There’s always some underlying reasons for ‘senioritis’. From something as simple as not sleeping well to as severe as mental health. Labeling it as senioritis is unfair as the term generalizes it as “high schoolers are slacking” without reason or offering a solution. It makes some seniors feel guilty for being “lazy” when they could be going through something. 

Senioritis to some is proven to be legitimate, while to others it’s just a derogatory term that undermines their years of hard work. What does senioritis mean to you? Is it truly just ‘seniors being seniors’ or is there something more to it?