Throughout the entirety of their high school careers, Class of 2024 seniors have been faced with distractions. From Covid-19 lockdowns and hybrid learning to cell phones and trends, students have been forced to keep their focus on school in order to succeed.

Now, with the second semester of senior year rapidly approaching and college applications largely in the rearview, students are struggling more than ever to stay focused in a time where their grades have little relevance toward determining their future.

Seniors are left with two choices in this time of limbo: either continue to set high academic standards for themselves in preparation for college or zone out until graduation. One of these choices is more popular than the other, but one is much more beneficial.

Seniors wasting time in class only causes problems in the future

Every senior will probably be tempted by it, but whether they give into it will set a standard for the future of their academic career. The topic is wasting class time.

Categorized by some as “senioritis,” the grip of wasted time on students can be seen all across the halls of PVHS. From playing video games and cards in class with friends to scrolling mindlessly on social media or sleeping, seniors seem to be doing anything but schoolwork.

The main argument for giving in to this kind of behavior is the presumed meaningless of the remainder of senior year. Many students have completed college applications and are receiving admission decisions, making it easy to look to their future endeavors and abandon their present grades.

Senior Ethan Cline has thought similarly, questioning the need for good grades when college admission has already been decided. “Lately I have become less motivated with the approach of graduation. Since I have already been accepted into college it makes me think that I don’t need to have as good of grades,” he explained.

However, when taken to extremes, this idea could have consequences. Even after admission, colleges can examine future students’ GPAs and academic records and reserve the right to revoke admission for seniors who have let their grades slip. 2009 data found that 22% of colleges revoked at least one admission that year, with two thirds of the revocations due to poor senior year grades.

Additionally, certain academic scholarships are based around cumulative GPA, yet another reason to stay focused in one’s final year of high school.

Though it is unlikely for seniors to allow their grades to slip enough to affect college admission, there are more realistic consequences to giving in to laziness, one of which being a more difficult transition to higher education. Students who lose their work ethic in high school will have a more difficult time transitioning to the larger, more independent workload of college.

One of the parts of senior year that students like the most is the newfound independence. More classes are used as open work time than any other year in high school, with teachers relying on students to take the initiative to be productive. 

If seniors cannot do this in high school, when the workload is lesser and not as serious, why would one believe that they could handle college life, where much of the learning is up to the student being proactive and taking control of their studying and grades?

Physics teacher Joshua Hoffman believes that not paying attention in class or taking school work seriously is going to hurt students in the long run by creating bad habits. “With seniors, in a few months you’re going out into the working world or into college. When you leave high school and go into the real world or college world, if you don’t show up, you’ll get fired or fail your courses, a lot of money was spent for you to fail,” he said.

In addition to creating poor work ethic and initiative, allowing oneself to slack off allows for the development of poor time management practices. Assuming that most students still turn their work in, be it late or not, so that their grades do not stumble too far, not being productive in class is a waste of time.

What is the point of going to school if one is going to waste their day on a phone or socializing with friends? Teachers often build in time to get work done so that students do not have to finish it at home, but this time is abused. Often heard are the cries against homework when in reality, if students were productive in class their workload at home would significantly diminish.

Other times built into the day, such as study hall, can offer students an opportunity to finish their homework by giving an entire period to work on homework so students can go home and enjoy much-needed free time. But when one walks into any given period, a majority of students are not working on their studies.

The poor time management practices created by wasting time will also hurt students in their future employment. Few employers will allow their employees to waste time on the clock, creating a rude awakening for students who did not discipline themselves in high school.

Despite knowing the consequences of slacking off, teachers like Hoffman can only do so much and provide so many resources to get students who are at or nearing adult age to take the initiative to be successful.

“By not practicing it is my hope that you [the students] realize why things can be really challenging, because you haven’t done anything. That’s why it’s really hard. I hope that the things that I want you to do are designed to help you achieve at a high level on the labs and exams,” Hoffman continued. “The exams are your performance and the work you do before them can help demonstrate what you’ve learned. Is it possible to do well without practicing, yes, but as I say, ‘Good luck but luck doesn’t have anything to do with your physics grade.’”

It seems as though seniors seem to have their logic backwards. By slacking off during school, they leave more work for themselves outside of it. This logic will not play out well when students enter higher education and the workforce.

This is not to say that students have to be 100% focused 100% of the time, or that I do not have my own issues with slacking off in class. There is always a need for breaks in school, and sometimes the monotony of the day warrants procrastination every once in a while. But I have made it a goal for myself to be as productive in class and during free time in school as I can, to alleviate the workload outside of it.

To make laziness a lifestyle can have serious consequences on those that partake in it, ones that could reach far beyond the here and now of high school. While many students cite looking to the future as a reason for their lack of effort, they do not realize that their future selves will only be hurt by a lack of effort in the present.

Upholding a standard of excellence: Staying motivated senior year sets an example for the future

Call it being sweaty, a try-hard, or many other terms, but while many high school seniors choose to spend their final semesters slacking off and turning in work late, causing their grades to slip, others choose to continue to set high expectations for themselves, ones that will be beneficial for their futures.

These are the students who refuse to give in to senioritis. Those who continue to turn work in on time, pay attention in class and work hard. While the results of this motivation may not be seen right away and the motives for it are all different, they are setting themselves up for success while many others create bad habits.

By continuing to set high standards in high school, these students will enjoy an easier transition to the workload and reliance on time management that college brings. Around 50-60% of college freshmen have to complete remedial work to regain knowledge in topics already taught in high school, so staying motivated in high school can already put students ahead of over half of their peers in college.

Adjusting to independence during senior year by continuing to be productive makes it so that students do not have to adjust to it in college and can succeed upon arrival with less acclimation.

In high school, attendance is mandatory but paying attention is not. The students who pay attention in their classes and actively listen will be more motivated to show up to their classes in college when attendance is optional and actively pay attention when nobody is forcing them to.

However, with the increasing number of seniors giving in to the temptation of giving up, continuing to set high expectations for oneself is often difficult. 

One way to mitigate this lack of motivation is by taking classes that matter toward one’s future. Students enrolled in dual-enrollment classes with Scott Community College must do well in the class because it goes towards their college GPA, otherwise they must withdraw.

While a withdrawal does not hurt a student’s grade, it makes all of the hours spent in the class worthless. Therefore, dual enrollment classes can be the motivation that seniors need to succeed, while benefiting their future college selves and saving money as well.

These classes, some of which are online, can also show students what college will be like and how work must be completed without supervision on one’s own time.

Senior Brett Rippchen takes such classes and uses college GPA as motivation to succeed. “I am more motivated to stay focused on my senior year classes because I know the grade in my dual enrollment classes will transfer with the credit to the University of Iowa. I don’t want my college grade to start off low, as that can prevent me from receiving certain academic scholarships,” he said.

Students also succeed in their senior year by taking classes that are enjoyable to them. The final year of high school offers the largest variety of classes to take, including many in future career fields. By taking classes that are enjoyable or relevant toward their future major in college, students are motivated to learn and succeed.

Senior Rylan Windmiller has used his final year of high school to take classes that are interesting to him and also provide college credit at the same time. 

“What affects my motivation is my interest. In public speaking, although it might not be my favorite, I still find interest in it because it’s going to be a crucial part of my adult life so I am motivated to pay more attention. With financial accounting, I find the class extremely interesting and think of it as a career path so I’m more motivated,” he said.

Windmiller continued to discuss how senior year can be used to take classes that expand on interests and the increased motivation these classes can bring.

“Don’t take classes just to get the credits. Take classes that you find an interest in and find enjoyment in. Those kinds of classes really keep me going because they’re a portion of the day I know I can find some interest in, even though it is school,” he explained.

While this advice helps for students not yet in their final year of high school, it does not do much for current seniors. However, there are still ways to become motivated to be productive. The easiest of which is to have a future-driven mindset.

High school seniors have so much ahead of them. College life, independence, and a career all await in the future. With one semester of school left, it should be an easy choice to push through the temptation and finish strong to set oneself up for success.

Another easy way to stay motivated is to remember the stress that comes with procrastination and slacking off. Tests are much easier when one has paid attention in class, and deadlines are easier to hit when worktime is used correctly.

Rippchen avoids procrastination as much as possible. “I don’t let myself submit assignments late, I always try to submit things on time. This helps me stay on top of my work and not get behind,” he said.

While one might look at someone wisely using their time in class and think they are doing more work, in reality they are doing the same amount, but using their time more efficiently.

Now this is still not easy. I was once a procrastinator too. But after getting a job and realizing the value of time management, I saw that being productive in class saves time to do things outside of it. When I stopped waiting until the last minute and using time in class wisely, not only did my productivity increase but it was easier to get good grades, too.

While it is never easy or fun at the moment, upholding high standards senior year and not slacking off can be the key to future success.