Your hands are sweaty and your heart is on fire. It’s almost your turn. Your name is next, but right before you walk you look at the crowd and see your family waiting with apprehension for the big moment: your name is called and you are handed a piece of paper. Graduation.

Rewind a few month back, and you will most likely see the victim of a widespread disease known as senioritis. Although some think it is just myth, senioritis is indeed a disease that in some way or another affects the performance of most seniors.

Senioritis symptoms surface in a variety of forms.

“It’s hard to stay on top of my homework,” Josh Dean, senior, said.

Although Dean struggles predominantly with homework, others have a more holistic variety of senioritis.
“I am irritated with absolutely everything having to deal with high school,” Regina Artison, senior, said.

According to Urban Dictionary, senioritis is defined as “A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude.”

Not only can signs of senioritis be observed in the students, it can also be seen in senior attendance.

“While it is always a difficult to keep seniors engaged and present second semester when senioritis really kicks in, the guidance team including Ms. Woodward, along with teachers and administrators, all work hard to keep the students motivated,” Katy-Jane Johnson, senior counselor, said.

But just like a regular diagnosis, there are ways to prevent and combat the onset of this less-than-life threatening disease. Staying on top of school work appears to work for some. If students get behind they may not have the motivation to keep up, which could lead down a deep dark path of senioritis. Another way to stay disease-free is to avoid people who seem to have the disease. It’s actually contagious and hanging around with these unmotivated people could cause someone to lose their motivation.

“I make sure I sit down and do my homework first thing,” said Dean.

While Dean makes his goal to stay academically focused, Artison has a more community-based method to stay in the game.

“I always am with my friends at school so I try to forget how much I’m not okay with high school,” said Artison.

When experiencing senioritis there is only one cure: graduation. Stay tuned, graduation is scheduled for May 18 at Chaifetz Arena.