Seniors at Air Academy High School (AAHS) have had a rough couple of years at the school. Not to say that every part of high school has been bad or unpleasant, but through constant changes to the curriculum, a global pandemic at the start of their 9th-grade year, and tribulations many students had to go through, it is no surprise that the “senioritis” hit this batch of seniors harder than ever.

COVID-19 has affected many students in many ways, mostly negatively. With online learning and self-isolation, it gave many students the wrong idea of how the rest of their high school years would turn out.

“It set my expectations really low for the rest of my high school career because I thought the rest of it would be just as nonchalant,” senior Kyle Sullivan shared.

COVID-19 also set a standard for what kind of learning best suits a student, whether that be through reading, watching, or hearing.

“Covid helped me realize that I had a certain learning style and which style it was. It helped me become more aware about what I need to do for myself to learn,” senior Luisa “Lulu” Lane added.

Some students worry about how school work will affect their time in their home life, contributing to senioritis.

“My idea is if I get all of my work done early, I do not have to worry about it later and use that time in class to not worry about whatever and can just do whatever and not worry about it affecting my G.P.A,” senior Wren Fabian stated.

Another big reason that relates to senioritis is seniors’ overall mental health. High school can often add to stress and anxiety, leading to a deterioration in mental health.

“This year has been the hardest of all. I’m very productive, but my mental health suffered severely because I put way too much into each project and we have gotten so many this year. It’s been a bit too much for me to handle and I have had to reach out for help and take several class periods off to stop having panic attacks and to get enough sleep to function well in school,” Lane explained.

Some seniors let senioritis take control of their actions to increase and improve their mental health.

“Because my senioritis is so bad, I don’t really care about school anymore and that has done wonders for my mental health. Back in my freshman and sophomore years, all I did about school was stress and now that I’ve kinda stopped caring, I feel a lot more relaxed and in tune with myself as a person,” Sullivan exclaimed.

Senioritis is a common problem with seniors every year, but there are ways that we can help encourage students to work harder and finish their last year stronger rather than give in to boredom and lethargy.

“Don’t slam seniors with projects! Plan your courses better! Just because you didn’t finish your lesson plan the way you wanted to doesn’t mean you should try to push it all into the last few weeks! Most seniors are dealing with so many things such as college, getting ready to move, getting scholarships done, essays, and their projects, and I don’t know a single friend who doesn’t have things to deal with at home,” Lane shared.

This year’s batch of seniors officially graduate from AAHS on May 15th, so lets hope next year’s senioritis does not hit seniors as hard.