As the current students of West Palm Beach move into their senior year of highschool, their attitude toward school begins to change significantly alongside their behavior. Students grow antsy, actively awaiting the end of the year, and time seems as if it has slowed down. A majority of students even begin to lack work ethic and understandably feel trapped in their last year of high school. This lack of motivation and an overwhelming desire to graduate is what has been dubbed as “senioritis”. To some, it is more like inching closer to the finish line that has been so nauseatingly dangled in front of them. To others, it’s just a loss of motivation. However you choose to see it, most people— if not everyone— agree that this phenomenon is more of a nickname for the academic burnout that stems from the pressure of all four years of high school.
Yes, children are proven to be far more energetic and active than the average adult— but like all humans, they are prone to mental burnout. Burnout is defined as “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” (Burnout, Smith & Reid). Everyone, no matter how old they are, can experience a burnout. There is no particular age that is affected the most, but students— especially those in high school— will suffer from burnout at least once. Ironically enough, as it is the topic of this article, seniors seem to experience this the most. This is followed up by juniors, who throughout the years, have always had a lot of academic pressure placed on their shoulders by superiors and teachers. The reason seniors seem to experience this kind of stress so often is because they are quite literally nearing the end of their high school careers. I urge you, especially seniors, to think about this question: what are you looking forward to in your future?

Before you answer, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that our generation is not the only generation to coin the term senioritis. In fact, it has been an ongoing thing for decades. Ask your mother or father if they’ve ever experienced senioritis, or know what it is. I guarantee you, they’ll probably say yes. I did this myself, and this is what my own mother had to say about the matter, including some of her own experiences. “When I was a senior, I couldn’t wait to get out of school.” She told me, “Usually, when kids experience senioritis, they just wanna get out and see the world for all its wonders. Go to college, pursue a career, start a new life. It’s all a fault of burn out, but it’s the good kind. Well, almost.” It seems like for generations to come, students will always experience this sort of burnout. It is really a crash and burn sort of situation, but just know that it gets better. Think about the things that await you in the future, and try your best to pursue the career you want. Life never truly ends after high school.
Good luck to our seniors of 2025 especially to all seniors of Cardinal Newman. Keep up the good work and study hard!