Succumbing to “Senioritis” in Scarsdale

It’s the second half of the school year, and SHS seniors are coming down with something other than COVID. It’s a common syndrome called "senioritis" which was first noted in 1907 and is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades.”

With seniors done with college applications and some admitted to college, the pressure for perfection has lifted and seniors may need a boost to complete these last few months of school.

Some students feel they deserve a break. After 3.5 years of studying and homework and experiencing the rollercoaster COVID-19 placed on their learning experience, they are looking for stress relief. Though they realizes their classes still need to be taken seriously, if the straight-A student gets one B, not many will bat an eye.

For the remaining months of the school year, seniors will follow a separate schedule from the rest of the school: their third-quarter ends on March 18th, finals are from April 27th to April 29th, and Senior Options commence on May 2nd. Then the fun begins with the prom on May 19th, the senior class play from June 3rd to June 5th, Senior Options presentations ending on June 21st, and graduation scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on June 23rd.

With fewer than three months separating seniors from their final classes in Scarsdale, it’s no wonder they have newfound excitement and an extra urge to shrug off school obligations.

When asked about how real “Senioritis” is, senior David Zoota replied, “I think it’s real to the extent that people aren’t going to stay up super late to study. I feel like seniors are going to try and live a more ‘normal’ life. As long as my grades don’t go down, I am not going to stay up until midnight overstudying.”

Senior Jack Sindone, when asked about combatting the disease, said the key is “knowing that it’s going to hit a lot of people.” He added, as advice, “You need to make sure you know what you have to do and when it’s due. You must know how much is on your plate and continuing as normal as possible will help people remain at least somewhat productive: it has worked for me.”

Zoota concurred, even theorizing that “applying slightly less stress towards studying might actually help grades improve.”

One of the ways in which students are kept honest is the Advanced Placement exams that will be given from May 2 -13. With most students taking at least one AP test, there is an incentive to do the necessary work to prepare for the exams, which may allow them to place out of certain classes in college. If a student does not like math and wants to slack off now, the consequence is that they may have to take more math in college.

English teacher Frank Ceruzzi, who teaches a creative writing course for seniors, has an interesting plan to fend off senioritis. He said, “Now that we are beginning second semester, part of my planning is, in February, March, and April, to give students more choice, more voice, more independence, and hopefully that will keep them more invested. Right now, I am doing ‘choice books’ in creative writing. One of the goals there is to give students voice and choice in their work. We are also doing poetry in class which is something we will have more than enough time to complete in class.”

Before shirking on schoolwork, students who received an early decision acceptance to college should note the fine print of their acceptance letters. Most, if not all, colleges will look at mid-year and/or full-year grades to ensure students do not falter too much. Columbia University looks for “continued academic achievement.” New York University details, for accepted students, “You are expected to complete your academic coursework at a level consistent with what you achieved to earn your admission.” The University of Maryland describes, “It is our expectation that you maintain your current level of academic performance… Any significant changes in either of the above could result in the reassessment of your admission decision.” These sentiments are common threads for all colleges in the United States.

Third quarter grades do not need to be identical to first quarter grades but nonetheless, Scarsdale High School, parents, and colleges are keeping their eyes on student performance. But if the oldest students in town occasionally lift their foot off of the gas pedal a slight bit, no one should blame them.