Smallpox, the Bubonic plague, COVID-19, and senioritis. Also known as the big four, these are the deadliest diseases to ever plague the earth. Senioritis, the mysterious affliction that plagues high school seniors right around the time college decisions come out, and we realize there are three months left of school, is the only “itis” to make you allergic to responsibility and dangerously addicted to your couch. It’s not referenced in any medical textbook, but ask any senior and, without faltering, they will tell you the symptoms are real. Sudden laziness? Check. Chronic procrastination? Check. Inability to get out of bed? Check. It starts with one missed assignment. Maybe hitting snooze twice. No big deal, right? Then, suddenly, your academic planner is a decorative notebook, your motivation is on permanent vacation, and your teachers’ voices sound like the adults in Charlie Brown going “wah, wah, wah, wah.”
Behind the memes and laughs, there is a real psychological shift. According to psychologists, senioritis is a mix of burnout and brain chemistry. After years of endless tests, sports, extracurriculars, AP classes, and college essays, your brain’s dopamine system begins to crave instant gratification compared to future gratification. TikTok break? Immediate joy. Essay due Friday and test next week? Future you’s problem. Throw in a substantial amount of “What is the point?” and boom—senioritis.
According to a study by Vanderbilt University, there is a direct relationship between dopamine levels in certain regions of the brain and work ethic. Additionally, there is a direct negative relationship between dopamine levels and work ethic in the anterior insula, which is responsible for motivation and risk assessment. The study shows that dedicated, hardworking individuals will have higher concentrations of dopamine in the ventral striatum and amygdala and low concentrations in the anterior insula. Essentially, how impacted an individual is by senioritis can depend upon how the brain perceives risk and reward.
Burnout shows up after months (or years) of non-stop hustle. Even after we have college acceptance letters in our hands or summer jobs secured, seniors are expected to keep up the workload from their rigorous class schedules and be leaders and role models in their extracurriculars, all while facing the impending doom of adulthood. Burnout hits when the motivation is still there, but the energy is not, leaving you emotionally drained, mentally unwell, and physically tired. It’s the feeling of wanting to care, but being too tired to. If you are currently staring at your laptop writing a paper the night before it is due, wondering why doing even fun or miniscule tasks feel like chores, it’s probably just burnout…But what do we know? We definitely aren’t writing this article at 11 p.m. the night before it’s due. Definitely.
Like the common cold, there is no simple remedy that will magically cure you from the dastardly senioritis, only ways to reduce your symptoms. Unfortunately, it seems like the only solution is—prepare yourself—to lock in. As seniors, we understand how frustrating it is to read that. We are in physical pain as we write this. Consider setting timers to encourage yourself to work. Methods like the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working in intervals with short breaks between them, can be helpful to avoid procrastination. Even having your mother check your grades once a week can be helpful. Sometimes fear can be a great motivator.
If you cannot shake your case of senioritis and you need to resuscitate your grades, one challenging yet effective cure can be to add social media blockers to your phone. While it may seem drastic, these apps make an immediate impact on productivity by preventing doom-scrolling. These apps also have work-arounds built into their blockers in case you find yourself needing to give Instagram a quick check. These apps are helpful for non-seniors looking to reduce their screen time as well. Popular examples of social media blockers include Opal, PawBlock, and Freedom.
As seniors, we know it is tempting to coast your way to graduation in two months sledding downhill on a GPA you built junior year. Beware, colleges can revoke their offers (rude), GPA drops are not negligible, and the decorative notebook of a planner will come back to haunt you. Seniors, you are almost at the finish line—lock in. Just be careful not to trip on the overdue English paper on the way out the door, and juniors…Best of luck.