Senioritis is a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance. Similar symptoms can be found in students of all ages the week before a seasonal break.

Arrowhead senior Nicole Hospel says she thinks of senioritis “as being done with high school and you’re just ready to be out and get to college, you don’t really try in school [anymore].”

Fellow Arrowhead senior Connor Schanen defined the phenomenon as “the thought that most seniors have of the upcoming end of high school so in their minds they don’t have to try because it will be over soon and they’ve already gotten into college.”

“[It’s] when seniors do not do their everyday work,” said Nick Cerny, “because they think that it’s not as important because they already got accepted into college.”

While getting accepted into colleges is possibly one of the most exciting times for seniors, many Arrowhead students have admitted that once they were accepted to colleges, the effort they put into their final year at Arrowhead dropped substantially. In other words, some students only put effort into their grades when they were concerned about college acceptance.

Schanen agreed is the case for most seniors. He said he was affected by senioritis “big time.”

Hospel said while it is the case for most seniors, she knows “it’s important that [students] keep their grades up otherwise colleges can change their mind about admittance.”

Other seniors think senior year is giving them a final push. Cerny says he doesn’t believe he is affected at all: “I think that I’m actually working harder this year than last year.”

Unfortunately for majority of the 2015-2016 class, senioritis seems to have hit students early. According to Urban Dictionary, senioritis hits majority of seniors after they return from spring break which is still (blank) many weeks away.

This phenomenon has even attacked some of the younger students of Arrowhead, particularly juniors.

One Arrowhead junior, Sian Davis said, “I got senioritis when I was a freshman.”

With semester one coming to an end and exams approaching, one can only wonder how this premature senioritis will affect Arrowhead.

Arrowhead’s finals week is dated just two weeks after Christmas break. Day one of exams is January 19th and finishes on the 21st.

Foulkrod admitted to not feeling the best about finals approaching. After the end of the 2015-2016 football season, Foulkrod said that

“I need to study a lot. But it will be difficult because [of the] senioritis effect, it just made me feel like I don’t care anymore.”

Hospel also said she wasn’t excited for finals week: “I have a lot of studying to do.”

Other seniors are faring better than others.

Schanen says he wasn’t worried by exam week at all: “I could care less…I really don’t care.”

“I’m not worried about [finals] at all!” said Cerny. “My classes are so easy…well, except for Pre-Calc.”

Although senioritis is caused by seniors excitement to finally have completed their four years of high school and move to the glory of college, students will also admit their anxiety about college as well.

“I [just] feel like I’m not ready to go to college yet,” said Cerny.

“Of course I’m excited to get to college,” said senior Gracie Brookes, “But I know once I get there I’ll be wishing I was back at Arrowhead with my friends.”