Generations upon generations have experienced a slump of procrastination and lack of motivation during their last year of high school, and this can often be referred to as “senioritis.” This is primarily caused by the thought that students may not need to try anymore in school because college applications have been sent, and their fates have already been determined. However, it has been proven that even if acceptances have already been received, colleges reserve the right to withdraw your enrollment from their schools. “Senioritis” doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. It takes time for someone to build up to that stage, and this may start even before applications have been submitted. 

I interviewed a fellow Quartz Hill High School student, Trenton Morrison, about his dwindling motivation, which began  even before submitting his college applications, “I think that my motivation has decreased because I am ready for the school year to be over, especially after spending my junior year working and polishing my college essays.” Other students responded similarly to the same question; take Beatriz Heater, another senior at Quartz Hill High School; she explained, “Only after three weeks, I find myself with piles of work that I need to complete and already find myself struggling to meet deadlines. Procrastination is getting to me and I can’t find the motivation to keep completing all of my assignments, and I have yet to turn in my college applications. 

Once I received this insight, I came to the realization that seniors may not be giving up on their final year because of acceptance to college but maybe because they are tired of the patterns they experienced during their last three years of high school. Though college acceptances probably have a great impact on students’ motivation, this problem stems from years built up of time, work, and effort. The thought that they are so close to graduating yet so far drains their incentive to keep working toward their goals and get to where they want to be. 

One of the most important things to keep in mind this season is to stay strong and remember the end goal. These moments are the ones that shape your future, and losing focus can only cause a downward spiral. I wish all seniors luck with their last year and hope they make the most of it!