The end of the year is slowly creeping up, and all of IHS is growing more and more excited. There is one grade in particular that has been anticipating this time since the first day: the seniors. Senioritis has become increasingly worse as the year progresses forward, and now that the sun is coming out, it is reaching its peak.

Seniors at IHS are getting increasingly excited about the end of the school year. Now that graduation is just around the corner, many seniors lack motivation to attend school. On top of this, many students have already committed to their desired colleges or post-graduation plans, making high school work feel even more daunting. Late passes and late assignments are truly at an all-time high.

Though many senior students still care about their academic career at IHS, the stress of graduation, college preparations, post-grad plans and more, has left them feeling exhausted. Senior Max Duffee comments on his experience, “I feel like I’ve done well in school so far, and now I feel even more motivated to finish as strongly as I started. But, that has also resulted in me feeling very burnt out.”

Not all senior’s behavior is a result of laziness; for some, this last year is the most stressful and tiring one of all. Seniors involved in extracurricular activities such as sports or clubs have even more on their plate. The seniors typically take charge in roles such as team captain or club president. This gives seniors a whole new set of responsibilities.

Senior Anna Buterbaugh, a member of the girl’s lacrosse team, explains if her motivation to come to school has decreased, “Yes and no. Yes because I am ready for school to be done, but no because I am in a sport and I have to be here for it.”

 Further expanding on the pressure around college, many students have expressed their struggle with deciding what they want to do with their life after high school. The idea of a brand new environment completely different than any before is amazing yet terrifying. There is so much that goes into making sure the path you take after high school will lead you to success. This topic can be very overwhelming and hard for students to digest.

Senior Kayla Leon has chosen to attend college after high school, and has shared with us if she feels more excited or nervous, “Definitely a little bit of both, I feel like I’m ready to start a new chapter, but that can be very scary and intimidating.”

Becoming a senior means getting your first glimpse at the road that lies ahead, and deciding how to proceed. Juggling schoolwork on top of this process can be very nerve-racking. With everything seniors have on their ever-growing plate, it is no surprise the temptation to sleep in becomes harder to resist. So though the rise of senioritis is not exactly good, it is to be expected.