Learning about Senioritis with the Counselors

Ash Merritt 
Editor-in-Chief
  Senioritis highlights commitment issues for many students, and the counselors witness the struggle to keep up with classes. Senioritis is a phenomenon that drives students to burnout, procrastination, poor attendance, and low grades. Mrs. Thompson, one of BHS’ three counselors, explains that, “once a student gets behind in a class, we see an increase in senioritis,” which can make the workload of life become more difficult to manage. The rise in anxiety, stress, and burnout can lead students to reflect on how little time they have left to enjoy being carefree. 
  Counselors see many students who decide to obtain their General Educational Development (GED) instead of their diploma. They believe a GED is easier to achieve even though they could just earn their diploma in a few months. However, the work and stress of managing the rest of the few weeks tends to weigh on the minds of many students, especially seniors. Tylene Hales, one of the counselors, brings to light that everyone she sees has “some form of senioritis.” She further explains “some have it worse than others.” Furthermore, Mrs. Hinson, another counselor, explains that juniors feel senioritis before they are seniors; they find that they are in a new title wave of stress, which can bring them into the realization that “their future is changing and the feeling they can no longer be carefree and have to be serious about their choices [are] real.” Hales gives more advice in that “summer is coming up” soon for each student and that gives the students time to breathe. When facing difficult choices, students are encouraged to visit the college or office counselors. Whether it be help in managing stress or combating burnout, they are available for any student in need.
  When students seek advice on how to overcome senioritis, they can turn to the school counselors by visiting the office or emailing to schedule an appointment. For example, Hinson explains that “listening to students and validating their concerns and fears can be extremely helpful in decreasing symptoms and feelings of senioritis. Second, asking questions to help students recognize what is actually important and in their control versus what actually may not be as important as they feel at the moment.” After prioritizing what is important, students can work together with a counselor to learn what steps to lighten their load. For the students who have senioritis, the counselors all agree that doing the best a student can to stay on task and keep up in classes is the most effective way to combat senioritis. They can “push through to the end” as Hales says.