Senioritis, the supposed condition of losing motivation in school that afflicts many seniors, isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. Many seniors report getting senioritis, but even younger high school students joke about already having it. The real problem is that students are overwhelmed by the amount of work they must put into school.  Students get burnt out because of school work, extracurricular activities, and their own personal expectations. The full implications of COVID-19’s effects are still unknown in relation to the problem; however, this event surely had an impact on students’ motivation and mental health. This issue of burnout is too often dismissed as “senioritis.”

Students’ senior year of high school is by far the most stressful. This is because of their many different and competing time needs. Seniors are meant to keep up with school work and extracurriculars while searching for and applying to college and scholarships. They also have many outside of school responsibilities, especially if they have a job. Students are dealing with figuring out adulthood, maintaining school-work-life balance, and many life changes all at once. Many students go to out-of-state colleges or universities that are far from home and need to figure out life without their parents, possibly for the first time. With so many changes in life, it’s really no wonder that seniors want to check one of their responsibilities off the list as soon as possible.

Due to the effects of COVID-19, which are still being studied, this transition has become even more difficult in recent years. According to the National Library of Medicine, the pandemic has caused many problems, including in social interaction, the economy, and forms of psychological stress. The study has also reported a decline in students’ motivation and an increase in mental health issues, as well as dropouts. Online learning led to worse education due to a learning curve with technology and a decline in students’ motivation to stay focused in class.  The pandemic has and will continue to impact the students who lived through it over the years. Yet, students are expected to simply move on with life and ignore the tragedies faced during this time.

Because of the expectations that students have from teachers, they are easily burnt out. Especially towards the end of the school year, responsibilities tend to add up. Students are expected to complete final projects, prepare for their final and AP exams, and prepare to graduate. Teachers often increase the workload towards the end of the year because they are making sure students are on target to finish the class strong. As a result, students are swamped with work, struggling to reach deadlines. Seniors are expected to complete this work on time while also finding a roommate if they are staying in college dorms, planning their first-year schedules, and preparing for college in other ways.

All in all, seniors have an excessive workload put onto them that leads to burnout and loss of motivation. In many cases, however, this is dismissed as “senioritis” and students are told to push through to complete their coursework in order to graduate. Educators and parents should work together to help students through their senior year and lighten the load when possible. That way, seniors won’t be so overwhelmed with the responsibilities they have. Senioritis is preventable, as long as seniors are able to get help.