BY LIAM KEITH

He sat down lazily into his seat, ready to log in for another day of making it look like he’s doing his work. Jaeson Townsend is like every other student. He doesn’t miss a lot of school. He doesn’t get into any trouble. He has a job and balances that with the various relationships you make in high school. Townsend has hit a slump though, he just can’t seem to stay motivated starting his 13th year of public schooling. “It’s like now that I see the finish line I don’t have to put in nearly as much effort to reach it,” he said. There is a term used for this issue, often referred to as “senioritis.” 

Though, it may seem as if Townsend is one of few who have these ideas, the term senioritis is a term that was first used in 1946. Pop culture portrays seniors as students who lose all focus on academics and prioritize the experience of life. Portrayals like this can’t be blamed for this actually being an issue. These ideals are practiced due to being creatures of habit. Not because students are lazy, but due to the fact that the load is less tense. 

An affliction that you’re almost there, so you can loosen on the gas. This awful idea that you’re close to achieving something so you don’t need to have high standards is damaging. Townsend said, “ When I saw the classes I had this year, I knew that it was going to be easy.” This idea is shared amongst many seniors, as your course load begins to lighten or loosen. Most of the time, students don’t have all eight classes and their expectations as a student are lowered from where they were previously. Students like Jaeson aren’t alone in situations like this, as this idea extends to all parts of life. For example, a closing shift doing things with half effort because “they’ll leave soon.”

Townsend isn’t one-in-a-million, he is an average student with a life that doesn’t just go on at school. He said, “I put more effort into my job then I do at school,” which poses another issue for students. What is the benefit of putting extra effort into school, especially when there is less effort needed? Seniors tend to receive lesser expectations.  

The relationship between them and their teachers is affected by the fact that they’re almost adults. They do not need as much guidance, nor mentoring by adults that they’ll only see for one last year. He slowly stood up, zipping his backpack without even having to put anything back. Logging off the games on his computer, Jaeson headed for his next class full of procrastinated thoughts.