The class of 2025 will soon be on the big stage of T-Mobile Center to receive their diploma on Sunday, May 11, with mixed emotions. Getting up in front of your whole class and accepting a paper that says you’ve officially graduated from Liberty High School is a big deal to most. And according to the U.S Census Bureau, 87% of public high school students in the US are awarded diplomas.
The next step of life could be anything they choose, however, some students found it difficult to stay focused on the goal ahead of them once second semester senior year started and are finding this last stretch of the semester tiring and ready to be over with.
“They’re the worst grades I’ve ever had. The classes are hard, and you have to make grown-up decisions now,” senior Matthew Esser said.
Making it to the week of graduation can be tough. This term and weird feeling for many seniors is widely classified as “senioritis”, a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance. And many students already know what they’re doing after high school by this point in time anyway, so it’s just affecting them even harder.
“I plan on going to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, and I want to major in nursing and minor in Spanish,” senior Hannah Adams said.
Their last year at high school and a mix of emotions are stirring around. Many want to take the next step, and others are nervous about what’s next to come. According to Education World, https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/what-is-senioritis senioritis can be caused by a few different factors, including detachment anxiety or a desire to get started on the next chapter of your life. Senioritis might also be seen as a type of college burnout.
“I’m honestly scared. Our whole lives, we just went through different emotions; from one grade to another; we get done and have to move on, and once you graduate from high school, nobody tells you where to go anymore. It’s the first time you’re finally on your own, and it’s a little scary,” senior Rebekah Segura said.
Segura plans to go to Maple Woods and then to UMKC for early childhood education. And BestCollege enrollment https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/what-is-senioritis/ collected data that around 62% of people who completed high school or earned a GED certificate immediately enrolled in college.
Seegura said senioritis has hit all of her friends, especially her. And according to Collegeboard, https://counselors.collegeboard.org/college-application/senioritis every year, colleges rescind offers of admission, put students on academic probation, or alter financial aid packages due to “senioritis.” So colleges may reserve the right to deny admission to an accepted applicant should the student’s senior-year grades drop
“It’s not what the movies told me it would be like,” Segura said.
Just crawling to the end at this point, graduation can’t be any sooner for them, but there still will be many tears shed for all their family, friends, and teachers who’ve helped them get to this point.
“I would say that this school has really great people to talk to who will really listen and help, whether it’s a student or an adult,” Segura said.
With twelve years of school experience, seniors had advice to give to underclassmen and made sure to learn from their past mistakes that they made when they were just starting high school, that they wished they had known beforehand. Especially to help with senioritis, just make sure to work hard freshman through senior year and get good grades, don’t wait. It is suggested that students work hard and don’t slip up just because it’s their senior year.
“Don’t let your GPA fall because then you won’t get any money in scholarships,” Esser said.
Adams suggests not to take too many hard classes in your junior year either, or you’ll regret it by November. She thought junior year was by far the hardest, but senior year for her would be a close second.
“One million percent senioritis is real,” Adams said.
“Don’t let your GPA fall because then you won’t get any money in scholarships,” Esser said.
Even if you arent going to college, it’s still important to keep up good grades, and seniors also highly encourage students to still push themselves and try out new things. High school is a great place to find your passions and what fits best for you. It has so many things to offer and figure out what you want to do in the future whether its college, workforce, trade school, or anything else, getting those good grades and showing that your consistent help with any assignments or goals you have later. It sets a strict precedent and leaves many people already prepared for the next step by working consistently hard.
“Really get involved, join new clubs, try out for different sports, don’t be scared at all to try out new things,” Adams said. According to Collegeboard, https://counselors.collegeboard.org/college-application/senioritis an important way to prevent senioritis is to ensure that students remain excited, active, and focused throughout their senior year. So often, seniors get to do more exciting things, such as senior skip day and senior sunrise, to get them hyped.
The day before seniors’ last day they will get a chance to go and have senior breakfast early in the morning with their friends, have a graduation meeting to pick up their yearbook, as well as getting their diploma.
On May 6 and 7, the last days with lots of activities on both days. It will officially be the seniors’ last day. They’ll have senior jeans, an assembly to return to their old school, and end the day off at the senior sunset. Link to STUCO Twitter and Instagram for more information on senior activities.
