Senioritis is a feeling of apathy or uneasiness that often occurs during a student’s senior year of high school or college. It can resemble depression and social withdrawal, and may lead to a more casual attitude towards attendance and school-related activities. While not a serious medical condition, some colleges have rescinded admission offers to students who have not demonstrated educational discipline during their senior semester. Many seniors feel bittersweet about their final days as students and may experience unexpected emotions as they prepare to close a chapter of their lives.
A strange thing often happens during a student’s senior year in high school or college. The excitement of starting a new career or higher educational path can overwhelm the routine realities of school life, making even the most exciting graduation rituals seem less and less appealing. This general feeling of apathy or uneasiness is informally known by students and faculty alike as senioritis. Senioritis can occur at any time during a student’s senior year, but it usually appears in the last few months of the second semester. At that time, many seniors had already been accepted to colleges or had solid prospects for an entry-level career position. All that stands between a graduate and a new chapter in life is paperwork and ritual.
Senioritis is not a serious medical condition, but there are elements of senioritis that resemble depression and social withdrawal. People suffering from senioritis often become apathetic towards school-related activities such as sports, extracurricular clubs and performance-oriented classes. Faculty members can try to counteract seniority by assigning big projects by the end of the semester or producing a play or talent show. The results, however, can be variable. Students with severe senioritis may simply be marking time until graduation, which doesn’t exactly bode well for instructors.
Another effect of senioritis is a more casual attitude towards class attendance. It is not uncommon for graduates to enroll in so-called “Mickey Mouse” courses, electives with minimal requirements and little effect on a student’s overall grade point average. Others with seniority may decide that a school’s truancy policy no longer applies to a student with only weeks to go before graduation. As long as a student has completed the required courses to earn a degree, failing some elective courses due to excessive absenteeism should not be a major concern. Some colleges, however, have exercised the right to rescind admission offers to students who have not demonstrated educational discipline during their senior semester.
Not all seniors experience senioritis in its most glaring form, but many feel bittersweet about their final days as students. For some, the thought of not seeing their friends on a regular basis causes feelings of depression or nostalgia. Others see the last days of their senior years as an opportunity to settle scores before leaving their hometowns for distant campuses or careers. Senioritis can trigger unexpected emotions as students prepare to close a chapter of their lives and open a new one without the familiar surroundings of a school building to guide them.
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