By Georgia Kirkendall

With the exhaustion and confusion that was 2020, senioritis is sure to peak early this year for 2021 graduates, and with spunk. Teachers and students worldwide are ready for a much needed vacation and have been ready, it seems, since the beginning of distance and hybrid learning. “Yeah, I’m done with high school,” laughed one senior when I asked if she was feeling the effects of common senioritis. “This last year especially has been difficult in trying to stay motivated and keep up my grades.” 

Due to the difficulty of distance learning and students beginning to physically come back to school much later this past year, a negative impact has affected grade achievement nationwide. In a nationwide study, the Brookings Institution further examined this negative impact, and found that middle school students started their 2020 year with approximately 70% of their learning gains in reading from the previous year, and less than 50% in mathematics. This disadvantage can be assumed for high school students as well. 

Seniors have had a plethora of problems to deal with in their final year, but will the pressure of sustaining high grades overcome the powerful effects of senioritis? Another senior responded, “I think, for me, at least, it will. I already got accepted into some of the colleges of my choice, but I have to keep my grades up. Colleges can see how you’re doing in school even after being accepted, and if you start to slip, they can reject you.” 

The fear of having a college retract its acceptance should definitely have seniors on their toes. Although it’s important to remember that education is different because of the pandemic, and admissions offices are bound to be lenient in regards to recent learning hardships. If college is still troubling you, and you’re noticing some side effects of the dreaded senioritis, visit your school counselor and talk to your teachers. They are there to help you!