The fourth nine weeks is just around the corner, and it seems much of the senior class is acting differently.

Teachers are beginning to address the lack of effort seniors are putting into their work, whether it be not paying attention in class, plummeting test scores, or even not completing their assigned homework. Something has to be up.

Are the seniors protesting? Have they been possessed? Have they all caught some sort of sickness?

Well, sort of. A lot of the seniors have caught an illness, but not a real one.

This time of the school year is when the term “senioritis” seems to pop up a lot. It is a colloquial term that dates back to the 1950s, usually meaning a “sickness” seniors get, causing them to lose motivation for their work. The word is meant to poke fun at students who just want the year to be over.

So case solved, right? The seniors are getting lazy because its almost the end of the year. But, maybe they aren’t entirely to blame.

Seniors have been working towards their graduation for 12 almost 13 years of their life. They are inches away from the end of the year, while simultaneously preparing for some of the most important milestones of their life. Seniors are looking forward to prom, senior sunset, graduation, senior trips, and graduation parties. Not to mention, many of them are doing the tedious tasks that are required for their admission to college, including AP tests. When dealing with all of these important events, something like calculus homework can seem a bit trivial.

However, missing a couple of homework assignments, or not studying for a test is one thing, completely blowing off every duty for school is another. It seems as if some seniors are using their “senioritis” as an excuse to not do anything related to school. Some people have plenty of motivation, but are saying they have senioritis so no one criticizes them for their lack of work.

What is the cure for senioritis? Should seniors suck it up, or should teachers give up?

Maybe a compromise is the best solution. Seniors need to understand that while they are close to graduation, they are still in school for another nine weeks. Teachers should also be mindful when assigning work. Its okay when teachers assign a boatload of work for the rest of the year, but its unrealistic to expect seniors to only have their focus on school work. Perhaps a slight reduction on the workload is for the best.