By the second semester of the year, time seems to have slowed down for many seniors. Assignments seem to be mere pieces of paper, tests are simply periods of long silence, and extracurriculars become suggestions on calendars. For many twelfth graders, three and a half years of rigorous effort are enthusiastically left behind at the end of the second quarter, and they shift their focus to simply enjoying the last few months of high school. Do seniors deserve to kick back and close their computers, or should they continue to try their hardest in the commitments they have made?
Personally, I believe high school doesn’t end when a future in college becomes clear. By this point in our lives, we have become entangled in our school and local communities; we shouldn’t disregard other people’s efforts and time simply because we can’t quantify it anymore.
Yes, high school is undoubtedly taxing. “The years of studying, volunteering, participating in sports and other activities school related is a massive sprint,” says Vincent Minotti, one of the health teachers at MHS. “By spring of senior year most students are spent.”
I find this is evidence of a greater issue: the inability to achieve without an overhanging threat. Once first semester grades are submitted to colleges or an early admissions letter is received, there is much less external pressure to maintain grades or involvement in activities. So for many, motivation runs out, and grades and participation drop.
AP Macroeconomics teacher Francesco Scioscia adds that “senioritis is caused by a feeling of ‘I’m over high school, I’m ready for what’s next’” and that he believes it to be contagious.
Maya Okochu, a senior at MHS, comments, “I think that seniors have been working towards college admissions for years. Now that it’s finally within reach, we are all reevaluating our goals and finding a new sense of purpose.”
The American education system teaches us to always look ahead, to view our every action as something to log in a resume, instead of appreciating the experience in the moment. This devalues our very lives, and though it may not be our fault for establishing this system, we should still try to form the habit of enjoying our lives outside of how they make us appear. When we throw our hands up and declare a bankruptcy of our energy upon the end of second quarter, we strengthen the idea that we only exist to be hired or accepted into institutions.
I can’t lie and say that I have a strict internal motivator that makes me jump to do my homework or study for a test. I drag my feet and twiddle my pencils, and meekly stare at my to-do list for long periods before starting my work. I think we all deserve a break, but we have to find a balance of establishing more time for ourselves, and still respecting our teachers, club leaders, classmates, and everyone else who we made commitments to.
