2nd Semester Burnout Affects Seniors

By: Carlos Camargo

April 8, 2025

   Second semester burnout is not new to students. However, seniors may feel it the worst. After post-graduate acceptances are received, many seniors are simply waiting for that May 30 graduation date.

   Motivation is dropping for many seniors, because of the amount of work, but, and because the work they’re doing is no longer seen as a necessity. Compared to freshman and sophomore years, motivation even for overachievers dwindles because the goal has been met for them.

   “I will say my level of motivation has gone down,” said Senior Jenna Jenkerson. "I've now basically committed to a school, so now I'm kind of just waiting out the last few months of high school before I go out to my externship in May.”

   While motivation is decreasing, other things like stress and procrastination are increasing. Seniors are still expected to maintain their grades and show up to class on time, which for some can be a challenge.

   “It's a mix of like exhaustion and procrastination, like I have an assignment that's due, but I'd rather play Fortnite instead of [Working on] my English assignment that's due [that night],” said Senior Aiden Love.

   These symptoms are known as senioritis and are played off as a pseudo ailment. While it can be a joke for some, for many students the idea is very real. The result? Dwindling traffic in the Senior parking lot, increasingly late arrivals in the morning and the emptier twelfth grade classrooms.

   “I didn’t have any [tardies] in high school up until January, which is when my senioritis personally kicked in heavy, and I just didn’t want to work anymore,” said Senior Delia Matthews.

   Although it seems to be hopeless, with less than two months before externships, the end is a lot closer than imaginable.

   “Honestly, what I’m looking forward to is just like, looking forward to the weekends,” said Love. “So, I see this as a job it’s like, I gotta get through my job so I can, you know, party and have fun.