Senioritis is the plight that affects almost all high schoolers during their senior year. It is identified as a lack of motivation to do school work or attend school regularly. While it affects everyone at different levels, the years of stress and school ultimately get to most people.

“I think everyone has a little senioritis, obviously some worse than others,” senior Marlo Kirk said. “I have senioritis and on a scale of 1-10 probably an 8 or 9. I feel like everyone is ready for a new experience meeting new people and growing in ways you cannot in a high school setting.”

Some seniors believe they are entitled to both senioritis and to a break as their time in high school comes to a close.

“Seniors have a right to feel senioritis and slack off,” Kirk said. “They have put in four years of hard work and should not have to work and be stressed constantly.”

Seniors have worked incredibly hard over the past four years so the notion of being able to take a break seems reasonable.

“The seniors need something after the senior lot and letting just seniors out early was taken away,” senior Rachael Whalen said. “I think you would be hard pressed to find a senior who does not have senioritis.”  

For teachers who teach seniors, senioritis can make the year more difficult.

“I don’t mind when seniors have senioritis, but I think it’s sad when they make the conscious choice to let it overtake them,” AP Literature teacher Heather Barto-Wiley said. “It’s sad to see someone with so much potential let himself or herself not do simple things that can actually help him or her in the future: nothing is isolated, even high school.”

Though senioritis it most linked to seniors, some juniors are already experiencing it.

“I think I have had senioritis since sophomore year,” junior Morgan Bacon said. “I am ready to be done.”

This sentiment raises the question that maybe the precursor to senioritis is an already apathetic high school culture at Reynolds and around Winston-Salem.

Some think senioritis is caused by the anticipation and excitement around the next step after high school.

“I think senioritis is caused by excitement,” senior Todd Echols said. “As seniors, we are all excited to move on to the next stage if our lives after graduation.”

Perhaps senioritis is just the culmination of years of apathy or maybe seniors are starting to remember what it is like to live life without the stress of getting into colleges or applying for jobs after high school.