Second semester senioritis strikes

By Ines Guinard,

HUB Staff Writer–

Wow, it’s almost over. I’m a second semester senior. I like the sound of that. What does this label mean to most seniors?

It means the need to fight against the non-curable “senioritis” is gone. Seniors are letting their guard down and giving in to the “illness” that infects them with laziness and a decrease in motivation. I know; it’s horrible.

Last year as a junior I heard constant chatter from those a year old than me when January came around.

Word on the street was that school didn’t matter anymore because college applications were in, and the rest was history.

I understood this mentality coming from students who weren’t all that motivated from day one of freshman year, but hearing it from a studious and high achieving group of students lacked credibility in my mind.

You’re telling me that you got an A in AP Calculus BC and every other AP class on earth, and now you “DGAF”? Enlighten me.

I wondered how disconnecting from the high-achieving mentality and shifting into cruise control could be so easy for some students.

Senior Travis Zane finds no trouble letting up on the gas pedal for the last six months of his high school experience. Lucky man.

“I feel like we have a right to slack off a bit and enjoy not only our weekdays but also our weekends, because we’ve been working so hard. I mean, you can settle for a B instead of an A, or a C instead of a B maybe,” Zane said.

That being said, there are seniors for whom the “second semester senior” label carries absolutely no meaning, except in their dreams.

“It’s the same thing. If I already tried three years in high school really hard why not keep trying for one more semester?” senior Raquel Valdes said. “Also, my classes are still really hard so I need to work just as hard.”

What about colleges? Maybe you got admitted into you dream school under early admission, but if you make school a place to celebrate that instead of study, your admission may be rescinded.

There’s a second “college aspect” to consider.

“You don’t want to go into college with a lazy mindset because you have been slacking off the past few months. You should go in knowing that it’s going to be a good workload, so don’t sell yourself short,” senior Kylie Dunn said.

I was 99 percent sure I would be one of the latter students, who continue to ignore the constant knock of “senioritis” on the door to my study room.

Here comes my confession: I see what it means to have made it through seven semesters and the arduous college application process. It’s beyond tempting to let back, but for now, I’m not answering the knock.

I’m keeping calm and carrying on just like last semester.