Senioritis is a condition that afflicts many college seniors during the final year. Symptoms include a lack of motivation and decreasing performance. Attendance also falls off because students feel they don’t have to go to class because it’s the end of the semester.
Senioritis has already kicked in at Saint Augustine’s University. “Yes, I have senioritis,” said Benita Mountain, a senior majoring in Journalism and Mass Communications. “I had it the first day of freshman year. I’m eager to graduate.”
I would say some athletes are prone to senioritis but Nicholas Tennell a senior majoring in Journalism and Mass Communications, disagreed. “I don’t think athletes are prone to senioritis due to the fact that you need to maintain good grades in order to play,” he said.
Professors are complaining about student’s poor attendance. “I have seen a drop off in attendance in several of my classes since Thanksgiving,” said J. Peder Zane, an assistant professor in the Department of Media & Communications. “Seniors have led the no-show brigade.”
The students think that it’s okay to miss class because the university is not demanding. “I feel like I can go to class when I want — it’s Saint Aug, man, I’m still going to pass,” said Dillan Ovinas, a senior majoring in Human Performance and Wellness. But what they don’t understand is that missing class can affect your grade in the end and lower your GPA.
Some seniors also fail to realize that senioritis can actually have long-term consequences. “I’ve had several students who have failed to graduate because they didn’t complete a simple class,” Mr. Zane said. “They don’t realize that missing class can affect their future.”
The biggest problem is at end of the semester; students feel they can make up work they missed out on and the professor is just supposed to pass them.
Senioritis goes on at every school not just Saint Augustine’s University. But it is as bad here as anywhere. I have observed in classes that I have with seniors that some of them barely show up. Some get senioritis at the start of their college education; others do well then when they get to senior year they began to flunk.
“Senioritis is understandable,” said Professor Moses Greene, a professor in the Media and Communications Department. “I had it. The cure for it is balance and you have to realize that you’re almost at your goal. But almost doesn’t count unless you’re playing horseshoes.”
Your best bet is to get up and go to class before it’s too late to graduate.
— Brittany Peay
