Senioritis: How Seniors Are Coping With Motivation Loss

Senioritis, a commonly experienced affliction associated with decreased motivation to complete schoolwork and stay on task, affects high school seniors around the world annually. As graduation approaches, many seniors at Leonia High School are facing the familiar challenge of senioritis.

Psychologists often attribute senioritis to a phenomenon called “goal disengagement,”  when motivation decreases as students approach the end of a long-term goal like graduating high school. The brain naturally reduces effort when the reward feels imminent, which causes students to prioritize short-term satisfaction over long-term tasks. Experiencing stress and burnout from years of academic pressure further heightens this feeling, making it harder to stay focused. 

For many, senioritis became noticeable after college applications were submitted.

Senior Marcel Astrakhan shared, “Senioritis really started in the middle of January. I was still completing assignments, but I was beginning to procrastinate more than usual and my sleep schedule was worse than before.”

Senior Beckett Chun added, “It hit me hard in January, and as it continued, it started to feel harder to care about assignments, and I began to procrastinate more.”

Teachers have noticed this shift in students and responded in different ways. Marcel mentioned that his teachers were mostly understanding of the issue and “try to keep things engaging” for himself. He added, “They still hold us to high expectations and constantly remind us that even though we are past college applications, our final transcripts are still important to keep in mind.” This balance of understanding and accountability seems to be the approach many teachers are taking.

Despite the challenge of senioritis, some seniors have found ways to stay motivated.

Senior Joshua Kennedy shared, “Whenever I feel really unmotivated to do my work, I’ll sometimes call my friends who are in the same classes with me and do work with them.” He noted, “Being on the phone keeps me entertained and motivated to finish all of my assignments.”

Beckett emphasized setting realistic goals, saying, “One thing that’s managed to help me so far is setting small and achievable goals instead of thinking about everything all at once.”

Marcel added, “I constantly remind myself that slacking off too much will make these last few months of senior year harder and more stressful, so this pushes me to keep going despite my procrastination.”

Senioritis’ impact has extended beyond academics. Joshua noted that while his relationships with friends and family haven’t changed much, “participation in classes has definitely dropped, and people’s energy levels are lower.”

 Senioritis has also affected the college application process for some students. Joshua explained, “a lot of my applications required supplemental essays, and the essays on top of schoolwork were hard to manage.”

Beckett added that while senioritis didn’t hit him too hard during the main application period, “once the major deadlines passed, it was tough to stay motivated for other things like scholarship essays.”

Through peer support, realistic goal-setting, and constant reminders about the importance of finishing strong, many seniors are pushing through and staying on track for graduation.