Senior year is the year that students start taking easier classes, slacking on work and counting down the days until graduation. This so-called phenomenon, known as senioritis, is when students lose motivation, put in minimal effort and struggle to stay engaged in schoolwork.
Senioritis is often joked about, but it is a real thing students experience due to years of academic pressure. But what if I told you senioritis doesn’t actually start in senior year?
Senior Aya Aani said, “If anything I felt the most burned out during second semester of my junior year.”
Many students like Aani experience this lack of motivation in their junior year when the workload is the heaviest. With ACTs, SATs, worrying about GPAs and not to mention upcoming college applications, junior year is considered to be the most stressful year in high school.
The constant pressure to perform well academically while juggling extracurriculars and personal responsibilities leaves many students drained before they even make it to senior year. By the time senior year arrives, students aren’t suddenly losing motivation; they are just running on empty after giving their all in their junior year.
Once seniors have submitted their college applications the urgency to maintain high grades fades.
Senior Carson Allen said, “It’s not that I don’t care about school anymore. There is just no point in trying so hard when I already submitted my applications.”
Junior year is when the stress, pressure, and exhaustion begin to pile up, making it harder for students to stay motivated by the time they reach their final year. After spending so much energy trying to keep up with grades, tests, and college applications, many students feel like they have nothing left to give their senior year. Senioritis isn’t just about slacking off; it’s the aftermath of junior year stress.
