We have all heard of the famous excuse seniors use when they start to lose motivation toward the end of the year. Senioritis or senior slump, whatever you want to call it, is starting to overtake the class of 2025, as it has to every class that came before them. This phenomenon refers to the decline in performance as seniors start to round the corner towards graduation. The end is beginning to near and the slump is only getting worse. Senioritis is what we would consider a right of passage for high school students. All students tend to lose drive towards the end of the year but only seniors get the privilege of having an excuse for it.
So what do we consider the cause of this oh-so-infectious disease? Unfortunately, there is not one singular answer; instead, there are several. First on the list is simply the fact that seniors feel they have been at this for far too long. They believe the days of slaving away over their desk are something they have now outgrown. At this point in the year, the majority of the senior class has already turned 18 and the burnout they are facing is no coincidence. These seniors have been hard at work for nearly four years and are ready for a break. Next up on the list of causes, and possibly the very thing we might consider the biggest cause of senioritis is college commitments. Once a student feels their future is secured, they no longer have something to strive for. Once accepted to a dream school or committed for athletics, they might feel as though there is no point in trying any longer. As long as they keep their grades high enough that a school won’t revoke its acceptance there is nearly no point in putting in the amount of effort they are used to. The final cause on our radar is distractions. When students are busy putting in college applications, applying for summer jobs and trying to have the best senior year possible, there is hardly any time left to worry about their academics. Sometimes the end of senior year can feel like a drag. Many students are ready for the next chapter and feel chained by high school responsibilities.
As the year begins to dwindle away the slump starts to ramp up. We see this start in the first semester of school when senior students start to ditch their classes. By the time the second semester comes around, the school takes hold of the senior class. They do so by implementing something Hoover High School calls the Senior Incentive. This incentive states that a student who is able to complete their second semester with not one absence that comes unexcused will not have to take their final exams. Unfortunately for many seniors, this does not apply to AP classes. Nonetheless, The Senior Incentive helps ensure that students, although losing their motivation, continue to attend classes. The attendance office keeps a strict account of each student’s absences and whether or not they were excused. Ensuring that a doctor’s note is picked up after an appointment is a crucial step for Hoovers’ seniors. Senior Incentives, although a struggle for many, is something nearly every student in the class of 2025 is thankful for.
It is always bittersweet when we see an uprise in senioritis as it means the school year is nearing its end. It’s not all bad though. This means both prom and graduation are right around the corner for our seniors. Following those two notable events, seniors are off to the next chapter of their lives. As those students begin their new lives, Hoover simultaneously welcomes the next class of students who just so happen to be counting down the days until they get to say they have become infected with the senior slump.
