Senior Lucas Wood falls asleep in a textbook while trying to do school work.

There is a sickness spreading around, but it’s not anything physical. It’s something that is psychological, and messes with the mind: the dreaded “senioritis.”

Senioritis is not a real health condition, but it certainly exists in some form. It’s the idea of seniors losing their motivation for their high school classes as they’ve already secured their post-high school plans.

Senior Nate Martell doesn’t really feel “senioritis”; however, that is a result of him only taking two classes at the high school, the rest being through Scott Community College. “I cannot let senioritis affect me because I’m enrolled in college classes,” Martell said.

Other seniors, like Ella Rekow, are feeling the effects of the senioritis. “I think I kind of have it,” Rekow said. “I still do all my work, but I just have no motivation to start it.”

Many colleges tell students they only need to keep grades at a C or higher to maintain their admission status, and as a result, many students lose a bit of motivation to achieve the highest they can in high school — the reasoning to do so is minimized.

Some say knowing where they are attending college is not the reason they experience senioritis. “I don’t think that knowing where I’m going next year has to do with it,” Rekow said. “I just feel like I’ve been doing the same thing for so long, and that’s what causes it.”

Many seniors don’t mind being afflicted with senioritis, but it can be a burden for others. Spanish teacher Stephanie Risius talked about how she sees senioritis within the school. “Senioritis is real. Some students get into college, so they achieved their goal,” Risius said. “Other students just hit their breaking point after three and a half semesters of working hard to get a good grade.” However, Risius says she understands why senioritis occurs, and she isn’t too bothered by it.

Martell also sees how being a senior affects others’ work as well. “Seniors commonly talk about graduation and summer as it grows closer,” Martell said. “This has caused some kids to feel unmotivated and not care about school as much. Their grades slip and they begin to prioritize their social life over academics.”

Senioritis certainly exists not only at PV, but everywhere.  It may not be as deadly as other diseases, but it certainly is affecting some PV students in a big way.