Many people view senioritis as a myth created to justify the increased laziness in high school seniors. Senioritis is not a diagnosable disease, but it can be rooted from psychological issues, such as depression. Symptoms of senioritis include poor grades, skipping class, laziness, and loss of interest in school activities. Many students are excited to start their adult lives, whether it is college, work, military service, etc. Therefore, they become uninterested in high school classes or activities The eagerness at moving on results in a student whose motivation and tolerance have decreased significantly when regarding the mundane work and classes of their last year of high school. 

   Psychologists often compare senioritis to situational depression, a state of indifference and lack of interest that can be directly correlated to an individual’s amount of dopamine. Depending on the levels of dopamine, difficult stages in someone’s life affect them differently. For example, someone with a lower amount of dopamine may be severely affected by a life-changing event, such as being close to finishing high school. Senior Hunter Core stated, “My senioritis was extremely bad this year because the virtual schooling gave me more reasons to not do my work after I got accepted into college.” Many students lose motivation because after college acceptance, they often think that grades matter less for college. However, in reality, colleges or scholarships will withdraw acceptances or awards if academic performance plummets. Therefore, it is incredibly important for students to finish high school strong, maintaining their hard work for the remainder of the school year. 

   There are several reasons that it is beneficial to battle senioritis and prevent it from destroying a student’s work ethic and performance. It can be combated in several ways, such as focusing on a passion, getting a job, or practicing adult behaviors. Discovering a passion or hobby, such as music, art, sports, etc, can offer a distraction and help alleviate the stress and purposelessness felt by many seniors. In addition, practicing adult behaviors such as getting a job offers a glimpse at the phase of life that is about to begin, rather than feeling stuck in a never-ending cycle of childhood and seemingly pointless schoolwork and responsibilities. 

   Senioritis is a state of mind that affects many high school seniors as they struggle with finishing school on a high note. The feelings of pointlessness regarding school work result in poor grades, as well as overwhelming disinterest in many previously occupying activities. However, it is important to remember that it is beneficial to finish strong. Senioritis may seem crippling to many students, but it is just another obstacle waiting to be overcome.