An audible sigh leaves my mouth as I enter my last semester at New Trier. Four years of returning from surprisingly quick winter breaks, stomping up never ending stairs, and sliding into cold seats—and I’m over it. 

Every year, high school Seniors’ motivations to complete their assignments and their attention spans disappear. Well, I am no different. My attention span has waned, and my grades are defenseless against a languid student. Since the first day of second semester, I siphon concepts of energy into a maximum of one assignment— a frankly sad amount of energy.

However, my lethargic nature is not an indication of my past four years. I have endured sleepless nights, weeks of preparation for finals, and countless hours of grind on assignments to reach burnout. Now, that does not mean I hate my current courses, as I love to learn, but I am ready to retire at this point in my high school career.

Now, I am not the only victim of senioritis— so we interviewed a few random seniors to find out their new senior year induced attention deficits. 

From continuing to jot down assignments in your calendars to chugging shots of coffee, these students share the physical things students can do to prevent full blown senioritis. 

Moreover, teachers like Mrs. Kriezelman have constructive advice for the mental aspect of our struggle: “…you know, this is ⅛ if your entire high school experience. We’re not just gonna sit and stare at each other”. 

Further, Mrs. Kriezelman provided advice to all the seniors who might feel that these last four months ‘don’t count’: “…it’s just that, remember, this is your own opportunity for learning…but this is your one second semester senior year, and your last opportunity to learn from these teachers”. 

So, for all the seniors, including me, that slack off— this semester does not have to be a painful experience, but a semester where you can enjoy and utilize the amazing resources this school offers.