Increased irritation, decreased motivation, physically being in high school but internally dreaming of being free, counting down the days until May 23… Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve felt it creeping in since the beginning of the school year, or maybe it hit you like a brick in second semester. Either way, you’re experiencing full-blown senioritis. 

For me, senioritis came in the form of an acceptance letter. Towards the beginning of the year, college seemed like a faraway thing we were all applying to for fun. High school was still exciting and we were back in so many ways. We were back in person after a year of online or hybrid learning. We were back to normal activities like homecoming and football games. High school was still enjoyable because we had nothing else to seriously think about. 

Now I focus on what could be, not just what is. In school I think about future college classrooms. At home I think about dorm life. At my after school job I think about being financially independent soon. A lot of seniors, like myself, are starting to realize how soon everything is. It’s officially spring break now. A month later, it’s prom. Before we know it, we’ll be graduating. Then it’ll be summer. Everything’s just around the corner, and life is coming at us faster than ever. Half of senioritis is simply doing your best to deal with that. In a matter of months we’ll be at school, or work, and how exciting is that? More exciting to think about than high school. It’s not that high school’s bad in any way; it’s just that we’ve been here for close to four years and are eager to move on to the next stages of our lives. That’s the crux of senioritis. Seniors get a taste of what could be and they want it; they want more than the confines of high school will allow. 

At its core, senioritis is boredom. Thankfully, this simple explanation provides a simple answer– stop being bored! Unfortunately, that’s a Herculean task when your only options seem to be preparing for AP tests and worrying about the grades you’ll have to graduate. The surefire ways to get through the next few months with minimal damage are planning and positive thinking. Set reasonable academic goals for the semester so you know what you’re doing. Whether you plan to barely pass or get straight A’s doesn’t matter; all that matters is you know what you can do and what you can expect of yourself. This will help minimize stress about schoolwork later on so you have more time to do the second thing: positive thinking. Senioritis is a mental battle more than anything else, so your mindset moving forward is crucial. Decide to enjoy what’s left of your high school career and cherish every moment you spend with your friends in class. Spend time with your favorite teachers before and after class. Savor the last semester of free education you’ll ever get. Go to prom because why not? It could be fun. Walk around St. Charles and Geneva and appreciate local small businesses. Hang out with your siblings. Whatever you do, don’t make yourself miserable waiting on the future. Live in the present.