Senioritis: A View Into the Final Months of High School
Teenagers facing sunset holding up peace sign, symbolizing leaving high school.
Picture credits: https://dissolve.com/
By: Emma Travers
The symptoms show up every year: procrastination, missing assignments, skipping, falling grades, or just general loss of interest. It’s senioritis! It tends to come after students get accepted to college and they feel confident in their post-graduation plans, leading to a severe decline in motivation. While most seniors feel the symptoms increasing in January after they get back from their last Christmas break, and knowing all the fun of football season and the fall activities are over, senioritis can even start in juniors (or in really bad cases, sophomores) who have just reached a new height in academic burnout.
I have come to shine light on the number of Jenks High School students who have senioritis and what that means for their day-to-day activities both on and off campus. Let’s dive into the current state of Jenks students!
An anonymous senior sitting in class making a graduation party invite list and editing photos in the midst of a group discussion. "I had already completed the assignment for the day and I needed to start my grad party invite list, so that's what I did" - Anonymous senior
Picture credits: Emma Travers
A view of the average seniors' desk: A desk lacking in schoolwork, instead, holding food, energy drinks, and the obvious necessity, a NeeDoh. The needoh has become a viral trend on TikTok, and a large trend among high school seniors.
Photo credits: Emma Travers
As the school day progresses, the painted senior spots get progressively emptier, as can be seen by the lack of cars in a row during the 5th hour. Seniors spend $65 purchasing a parking spot, and even more money to buy paint to decorate their spot just to park in it for a limited period of time during the day.
Picture credits: Emma Travers
Found on the black leather seats of a students car are two white water guns, kept safely inside their car in case of any interaction with their "target" in the senior wide game of "Senior Splashin." Senior Splashin is a popular, high stakes, off campus, elimination game played by high school seniors the final semester before graduation.
Picture Credits: Emma Travers
A student's motivation almost completely nonexistent, the green colored ovals around the grade are becoming less noticeable by the day, while grades like the one shown are becoming more present upon computer screens.
Picture Credits: Emma Travers
Two Jenks seniors, Beck Schissel and Isa Yusuf, are found napping atop math homework that was pulled out in an attempt to finish during their virtual fourth hour. "I had a long day and it was quiet in the commons, I put my head down and the next thing I knew the bell was ringing!" -Beck Schissel
Picture Credits: Emma Travers
Located in a senior girls bedroom, a desk can be found holding their school required reading and chromebook for a writing assignment. Found in the corner written in green lettering, a countdown until May 18th, graduation for Jenks seniors.
Picture Credits: Emma Travers
As we enter the last quarter of high school, I can see student motivation decreasing rapidly. Seniors find themselves doing absolutely anything to complete the least amount of schoolwork as possible. With all the senior year events quickly approaching, school and productivity are getting replaced with prom dress shopping and graduation party planning. Here’s to living in the midst of senioritis for the next few months as we attempt to end high school on a high note
