Senioritis: Is Skipping Class, Losing Motivation, and Slowing Down a Real Trend or Just a Myth?
You might have heard the word “senioritis,” but I’m not sure it means much. People joke about being “over” school, but most seniors I know are still showing up, getting things done, and pushing through. As graduation gets closer, it feels less like apathy and more like everyone’s just ready for what’s next. Seniors have a lot on their plate. Jobs, lives and our futures in general are, for a lot of us, all up in the air. The only certainty we have is the present, so what’s the point in slowing down now? This is the final stretch of a life of education we have known since we were five. Skipping class or checking out isn’t some inevitable senior rite of passage. It’s a choice and not one that can be explained away by “senioritis.”
A big reason why I don’t think senioritis holds much weight is because of the sheer investment that college is. The average cost for private institutions, like St. Lawrence University, is around $62,000. Our tuition currently sits around $83,000, and despite the fact that many students do not pay full price, it’s still a serious commitment. Time, money, effort, energy, we’ve given all of it to be here. So, why would we give up with the finish line in sight?
The truth is that what looks like slacking is usually just shifting priorities. Seniors are still working, just in different ways. A lot of people are prepping for graduate school, sending out job applications, locking down internships, or planning cross-country moves. Some are knee-deep in capstones or research. Others already have jobs lined up and are starting to focus on what their actual lives might look like outside of a college setting. Some people are just trying to hold it together in the middle of a huge life transition.
It also depends on the person. Whether or not someone is mentally checked-out can depend on their major and how intense their final semester is. Some departments have heavy course loads all the way through May, while others front-load the pressure earlier on in the semester. It also matters whether a student has already completed their graduation requirements or is still hustling to earn enough credits. There’s a big difference between someone coasting on electives and someone grinding through labs, papers, and presentations every week.
It can also come down to life outside the classroom. Some people are still in the thick of the job search sending out applications and hoping something sticks. Others already have offers lined up and are starting to think about apartments and commutes. Some are preparing for grad school. Some are figuring out how to explain the gap between school and whatever comes next. Not everyone has answers yet. For some, the burnout didn’t start in their senior year. It’s been building slowly, semester after semester, and it just happens to be more visible now.
So no, I don’t think we’re all just coasting to the end. What I’ve seen are students who are stretched thin but still showing up. Still trying. Still keeping momentum even when it feels like everything is shifting. If that looks like senioritis from the outside maybe it’s worth taking a second look, because what I actually see is people figuring it out—people who are uncertain and stressed but still show up for each other and themselves. That’s not apathy. That’s effort—even if it doesn’t always look neat or perfect. Seniors aren’t checked out. They’re moving forward, just maybe not in a straight line.