For many students, the best feeling is knowing a small portion of the school year is left. The excitement grows as plans are made for the summer. The countdown begins and time ticks, however, your motivation begins to slowly drift away as only a few weeks are left. 

Towards the end of the school year, many students struggle to show up to classes, turn in assignments, or even begin simple tasks. An average school year in California is 180 days, so as the end is near, students begin to feel burnt out, which is a natural response. 

The most common struggle for seniors in high school or college is known as Senioritis. While Senioritis is not a clinical term; it is most common among seniors towards the end of the school year. It is a common, persistent struggle that describes the lack of motivation high school students feel the closer graduation approaches. According to a 2012 study done by Omniscient, 78 percent of high schoolers struggle with senioritis each year.

Symptoms of Senioritis include struggling to get out of bed, personality changes, lack of motivation, tanking grades, being pulled away from work opportunities, and many more. While senioritis is not always critical, it is important to distinguish it from signs of depression. Such changes in sleep and appetite, lack of energy, loss of interest in hobbies, and unexplained physical symptoms can be signs of depression. If these symptoms appear, it is best to seek out mental health professionals to prevent symptoms from getting worse.

Scarlet Gilliard, a high school senior at Huntington Beach High School said, ”As the school year comes to an end, I have a lot of anxiety and feel extremely overwhelmed. It feels like it’s all going so fast, yet so slow.”

Not only does Senioritis bring anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed, but it also brings many more emotions.

“It gets hard to focus on work and it gets hard to find the motivation. Then once I find it, it’s hard to keep,” said Kira Renteria, another Huntington Beach High School Senior. 

While the cause of senioritis can be due to many things, a few causes include the desire to start the next chapter in their lives, while others see the end of the school year as the finish line, therefore deeming it unnecessary to complete the work.

“It feels like I can’t move. It feels as if I’m stuck in place, unable to finish or even start the work,” said Riley Vida, a high school senior from HBHS.

While senioritis is inevitable and can be overwhelming, it can be overcome. One important thing to keep throughout the journey as a senior is to keep a positive attitude and remember that there is a reward to achieve at the end of the finish line. It is also important to get organized, stick to a routine, take breaks in between, and ensure you are taking care of yourself. 

Many, such as Vida, find the goal of graduation as the motivation that keeps them going. Vida said, “I am using graduation as motivation because as unmotivated as I am, walking down the stage with my diploma in my hands is something I would like to accomplish.”

If you find yourself struggling, the support of teachers and counselors is always available for advice. As new seniors roll in each year, teachers understand the struggle of Senioritis. 

Mr. Pringle, a Social Psychology and MUN teacher at Huntington Beach High School has had the experience in helping his students make it through Senioritis. 

“Focus on the moment and get the small tasks done one by one. Don’t think of everything all at once and don’t overwhelm yourself with the last 4 years of high school coming to an end,” said Mr. Pringle. 

The school year may be approaching the end, and work piles up and motivation is lost, however, if you push through, the satisfaction of seeing the to-do list cleared will be the most rewarding and fulfilling feeling ever. It is important to keep in mind that while you are in full control of yourself and the motivation you bring, you must take it one step at a time. Once you overcome the senior struggles, at the end of the finish line you struggled to pass, await a diploma confirming you have reached the end of the 4 years of high school.