by Cuahutemoc Solorzano

Many seniors are looking forward to their graduation that is still months away, and “senioritis” can strike at any moment. 

It’s their last semester of high school, and many seniors are already looking forward to their future lives beyond the halls of St. John Bosco. But they’ve got to keep their eyes on the prize. 

Senioritis is real, according to Dr. Francesca Po, Bosco’s Coordinator of Youth Ministry and Theology Instructor. 

“Even as a valedictorian and super organized person, I started becoming tardy to class, and it can definetly bring your grades down,” said Dr. Po.

Senioritis can affect anyone, even the most dedicated of students. But it’s not impossible to avoid senioritis. It requires a matter of prioritization and balance, according to Dr. Po. 

Dr. Po recognized that it is common for a student to be accepted into a college and feel as though they don’t need to try anymore. However, they should keep putting forth their best effort. Their priority should be maintaining their college acceptance, and they have to keep up the effort that earned them acceptance in the first place, lest their acceptance become terminated. 

“What is the future that you want? If you want to maintain the admissions that you got, then make sure that’s your focus and avoid a detrimental senioritis,” said Dr. Po.

The teachers of Bosco are there to help students avoid senioritis. Mr. Ruben Solorza, Bosco’s Astronomy, AP Psychology and AP Environmental Science Instructor, tries to ease his student’s path toward graduation.

“A lot of seniors are already looking toward the next point of their lives. I try to take that into consideration. [In Astronomy] we do a lot more projects, and I try to take the stress off of them,” said Mr. Solorza. “I think they’ve earned that right, and especially since Astronomy is an elective course, I want it to be more fun for them.”

Senior classes aren’t there to deter students and overwork them. In fact, it’s the opposite. Bosco’s Civics Instructor, Mr. Ryan Voortman, tries to keep his class engaging for those under senioritis who need a little extra to stay focused. 

“I’ve had to change the way that I teach them. I try to keep them engaged instead of seeing the same type of lesson plan day after day,” said Mr. Voortman. 

Though not all classes will be as interesting to everyone. This is where grit comes in. 

According to Dr. Po, grit is being able to have perseverance in your classes and day-to-day life. 

Senior student, Dominic Navarro, has personally battled with senioritis and came out on top.

“Senioritis causes you to have bad grades, and it can affect you in the long run – don’t procrastinate and don’t fall behind,” said Dominic. 

He realized that everything he is doing now is setting up the result of his future, and therefore, he isn’t letting senioritis get in the way of his aspirations. Though he also points out that all work and no relaxation is going to cause someone to burn out instead of achieving their goals. 

“You have a balance of things you do like hanging out with friends so you’re not burnt out of just doing school,” said Dominic. 

According to Dr. Po, having a pessimistic and defeatist mindset is more likely to lead to senioritis. A student’s perspective of their own future will affect how much effort they put toward their lives.

Juliana Primanto, senior from St. Joseph and member of Italian Honors Society, agrees with Dr. Po that mental health affects seniorits. 

“Scholarships and commitments are definitely factors that enable senioritis,” said Juliana. “I also think other factors such as a decline in mental health could influence a student’s motivation as well.”

The perspective a person has on their own life is a large factor within mental health. An individual’s approach to the physical and mental obstacles confronting them has a large impact on their success.