Morgan Cogo ‘25, Opinion Editor
It is inevitable that as our high school careers draw to a close, the stress will rise, and the affectionately dubbed senioritis will become more and more prevalent. Our students’ biggest stressors range from college courses to teachers giving a lot of homework. Senioritits is defined as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” By the Oxford Dictionary. This can start with extreme school stressors, and the students of SL can agree. Here are some of the things that can make seniors catch the common disease.
One of the biggest stressors of this year has been getting courses sorted out. “Probably dual enrollment; that was pretty stressful,” senior Maddox Hoskins said. Dual enrollment classes are difficult enough, but without proper support, the stress becomes more than some students can bear.
Other students are having trouble balancing the workload of normal classes. With impending exams and piles of homework abound, student’s day to day classes have never been more stressful. Senior Raymond Atchley said, “It is hard to keep up for me in the first place, and the added stress of even more homework really is not helpful.” Another student, senior Caiden Davey, said, “Honestly, just trying to pass my classes this year has been the biggest stress of my life.”
Another thing that seniors worry about is—of course—the impending pressure of college. “Visits, applications, keeping grades up, and just waiting for acceptance letters. It’s a lot,” senior Darko Zdrakovski said. For seniors, it almost seems like the fate of their entire future rests on the shoulders of their senior year. Some colleges also need updated transcripts for their application process, seeing all your grades laid out like that can be nerve-wracking. With a measly 19 weeks left in the school year, the thought of keeping grades as good they can be is nothing less than taxing.
An additional issue to add to the already overflowing plates of the graduating class is extracurriculars. Things like band, choir, and theatre are huge commitments that take away time from studying and focusing on academics. But they can also add great experiences to your applications, so it really is a give and take. Students are in the same boat with clubs and sports. Having fun and socializing is imperative to a healthy lifestyle, so clubs and sports are a great way to get exactly what students need. However, like with other extracurriculars they take—sometimes valuable—time away from studying and homework. Even though clubs such as Link Crew, Key Club, and DECA look great to colleges, the commitment to such organizations is a lot on a students mind.
The balance between work and play is hard for any person, and high school students have been doing that for at least four years straight. With the massive amount of activities and consistent looming stressors, senior year is the end of a harrowing marathon. Can we really blame our seniors for having a little bit of senioritis?
Lyon Life 