Self fufilling prophecy of Senioritis

Marie O’Connor

The anticipation of being a second semester senior probably started first semester junior year. When the homework, new AP classes, and work on junior theme built up, the only light at the end of the tunnel seemed to be the prospect that in the future, we will be able to slack off.

No one tells you that before being a second semester senior, you have to get through first semester. It should be common knowledge, but first semester senior year is underratedly the most challenging semester of school I have ever experienced.

Not only do grades still matter, but everyone has been enrolled in Applying to College 101.

It’s almost second semester, it’s almost second semester, the montra running through every senior’s head until after finals.

First we had to battle through applications, scholarship forms, stressed out parents, first semester grades, and all the millions of others things that students find necessary to get into the Ivy of their dreams.

But the idea that after January, senior year becomes a joke is not entirely true. However, this ends up perpetuating itself. If you think that second semester is when it’s okay to slack off, as soon as second semester comes about, you’re going to slack off.

As someone who has been a  devoted student and general nerd when it comes to homework and studying, second semester senior-hood is difficult to get used to.

With all my peers embracing it, though, it’s getting easier and easier to slack off on homework and take a nap or watch netflix instead.

Teachers are trying to counteract the indifferent mindset by steadily chugging along with tough work loads and even diving into harder topics than first semester. In my math class, for example, everyone was expecting that second semester would be a breeze, and just another all-senior, fun class.

However, this past week we received a new textbook and have started to learn Calc.

This valiant attempt to stall “senioritis” is entirely justified. Seniors still have to maintain good grades to receive scholarships and maintain college acceptance. Also, many seniors still have AP tests to look forward to in May.

To all my teachers and parents who might be reading this, I STILL DO MY HOMEWORK AND STUDY FOR TESTS. And to the other seniors, I’m pretty chill and haven’t done any work all month.

Seniors seem to be outcompeting one another to be the most laid back and indifferent toward school.

If I forgot to do homework and end up finishing it during my free period, other seniors will scoff and say, “you still try?” Some have given up even seeming to care about school anymore. More and more I hear of seniors skipping homework and instead turning to school night parties. I know it’s now second semester when I hear seniors on Monday morning talking about how tired and dehydrated they are.

It has become a competition within the class for who can care less, where even doing homework is seen as a sign of weakness. And most seniors feel entitled to this luxury of not having to try so hard anymore.

Many of us are already into college, and we’ve suffered enough for the past three and a half years, so we have earned this time off… right?

Each year the contagion of laziness seems to spread earlier and earlier.

Seniors in my spanish class last year continued to care until at least April. When the weather started to get warm and the signs of summer began sprouting, it seemed appropriate that these soon-to-be grads would lose focus.

But this year the sky has not even brightened from the monotonous chicago-winter grey, and the seniors are already packing their senior sacks and getting ready for summer and college to come.

If it is only February, and the upperclassmen have already given up, I worry about what kind of behavior will come about at the end of May.

As a writer and observer, I’m excited to see the no-doubt ridiculous things to come, but, as a student who still has to pass all my classes, I’m nervous.