As the year comes to a close, classes are becoming more difficult in order to review and fully prepare all students (except seniors) for finals. Especially for students in IB, AP, and Honors classes, it can feel like the only thing worth doing work for is the relief that summer break will bring. But does that mean accountability isn’t necessary?
I’ve heard the term “senioritis” since middle school. The word describes a made-up illness that plagues many seniors. It’s characterized by a lack of motivation to complete schoolwork or demonstrate leadership in the classroom. After all, if you’ve already gotten into a college you’re happy with or have a post-graduate plan crafted, schoolwork becomes less of a priority. Although seniors shouldn’t give up on school altogether, they get a bit of a pass for having nearly completed all of high school. In other words, senioritis, though not a valid excuse for any significant academic negligence, at least maintains validity as an explanation for re-prioritization.
Junioritis, however, is decidedly not real. We haven’t applied to colleges yet, we’re not facing the final season of sports and clubs, and we’re not preparing for graduation yet. And yes, junior year is hard. But that doesn’t mean we should deflect blame for our own actions.
I, of all people, know how it feels to be running on fumes. Burnout is something that nearly everyone will experience at some point in their life, and it’s a legitimate explanation for end-of-year apathy. But why not accept that circumstance? There are resources for facing burnout both in school and outside. You can talk to a counselor, practice mindfulness, or start a conversation with parents and teachers about how to deal with feeling overwhelmed. And yet, those who taut junioritis as the cause of their problems refuse to deal with any of their issues. Because, why seek treatment when you can complain?
I’m not trying to shame anyone for feeling fed up with school; I think it’s important to have an open discussion about the stress that school and extracurriculars can put on students. But it’s childish to pretend like a made-up illness is the reason you can’t do your homework. Why not work together to build an environment conducive to the ebbs and flows of self-motivation? Right now, the work that we do in and out of school matters more than ever. We have two and a half weeks to round out our year and then months to recover. Let’s grit our teeth and crank this one out.
