by Daisy Creager| Staff Writer
With changes in the weather and cedar levels, this is the prime part of the year to catch the flu, a cold or even senioritis. GPAs are finalized and most students have been accepted into their college of choice. Now students and teachers are vulnerable to the rapid onset of laziness that affects hundreds of students each year.
“You don’t show up to first period, you sleep more than you’re awake, you forget your homework, you forget you have homework. You don’t get your textbooks, you don’t bring pens or pencils to school-that’s a big issue,” senior Michelle de la Pena said of the notorious condition.
Once college applications are out of the way, attention spans taper. Grades fall as students study less for tests and turn in homework late. The condition can develop as a result of any number of things, including older siblings setting the example, anticipation of getting to college, and just plain laziness.
“The biggest thing I’ve seen is that everything today is instant, faster. Kids today are so use to getting things quick. Unfortunately, the school system doesn’t work that way,” said counselor Patti Snider. “It takes 12 years to get your diploma, and even then it takes time to get the job you want. They’re used to instant gratification but they need endurance in order to push through and reach their goal.”
As they grow weary of the mundane nature of high school, students often move their schedules around, exchanging rigorous course for regular ones, switching into ‘blow-off classes’ and taking senior early release.
“When they are seniors, they don’t need our class to graduate so they blow stuff off,” art teacher Lisa Mittler said. “They bring down everyone around them because they tend to have a negative attitude.”
As well as irking teachers and rubbing off on their peers, students with senioritis often see a drop in their grades -A students often drop to barely-passing. This can be bad news for students looking forward to scholarships and a guaranteed place at college.
“Colleges are saying that if they notice a huge drop in grades or GPA they have the right to withdrawal their scholarships or offers of enrollment. It use to just be a threat, now colleges are really doing it,” counselor Shar Huffman said.
With the future in mind, it’s important to finish strong, because education doesn’t end after high school.
“It’s like going to the gym – if you go three times a week it’s easy, but if you get out of the habit it’s hard to get back into the routine,” Snider said. “It’s easier to keep the momentum going. If you finish strong and don’t get into bad habits, it’ll be better when you go to college and have a larger workload. If you always do your best, you can never have regrets.”
