As Barstow’s seniors begin trudging through their final semester of high school, a not-so-new epidemic plagues the 12th-grade class. For some seniors, it begins after their spring break, and for others, it started well in advance. Regardless, even the most productive students cannot escape the jaws of Senioritis. 

To this day, there are those who continue to argue against the existence of Senioritis, however, it is an observable phenomenon that manifests differently amongst different people. Finnian Waldron ’23, for example, is a senior that has claimed to have some experience with Senioritis. Waldron believes the effects started to take place halfway through the first semester—around the second quarter. For him, this looked like an increase in procrastination habits, exhaustion, and a lack of concern for some things school-related. 

In response to what could have possibly amplified, or even kickstarted his Senioritis, Waldron said, “…since a good amount of my college acceptances and decisions have come back, I’ve been kinda cruising through the year at my own pace.” 

For those who suffer from the more extreme cases, Waldron recommends double-checking to make sure you are taking at least a few classes that you are genuinely interested in. 

“When you take classes that actually fascinate you it makes you want to work more and also helps keep you from procrastinating too much since you aren’t just taking the class for a credit,” Waldron explained. 

Another senior, Sina Asheghalishahi ’23, says he has also caught himself falling victim to Senioritis. Be it the nature of the game or just the feelings that come with the new territory, Sina believes his Senioritis began to kick in at the very beginning of the school year but was reinvigorated during the second semester. Some could argue that this is merely a self-fulfilling prophecy that sets experienced students up for fatigue. However, the innumerable amount of individuals who have also succumbed to this same phenomenon indicates that this is no shared delusion. 

Similar to Waldron, Asheghalishahi notes that procrastination and general exhaustion do, in fact, make his list of Senioritis ramifications. Along with this, he has begun experiencing feelings of apathy, especially when there are things to do for college.

When asked whether or not these feelings had been heightened by anything recently, Asheghalishahi stated that “school work continues to pile up as more and more information for college comes out.” 

Though he does advise “do as I say, not as I do,” Asheghalishahi says that getting a decent amount of sleep can be helpful. He would also encourage those who need help navigating these feelings to talk to people if emotional support is needed and teachers if further strategies are required. 

To be honest, you would be hard-pressed to find a senior alive that doesn’t suffer from Senioritis, but knowing that teachers are willing to help makes a big difference. 

Spanish teacher Amanda Marvin offers her advice as well, stating, “For any seniors experiencing Senioritis – I recommend to try and live in the present moment. Don’t long for a future time and place and don’t be angry about the past. Enjoy the present and try to make your present moments with friends, family, and classmates the best they can be.” 

Similarly, Joe Fox, director of Barstow’s middle and upper school, wishes the best for all students struggling with Senioritis and that the best advice he can give is to “finish strong!”