It’s that time of year again. Seniors are hearing back from schools and tuning out the teachers. Senioritis, the condition seniors have of not wanting to do literally anything, has returned.

“I mean it [Seniortis] happens when you get excited for college,” Senior Ryan Sewall said.

Thomas Emerson has already gotten into one school, and even though he applied to several more, he has a lack of enthusiasm regarding school. This process is completely natural and most every senior will have this problem because colleges don’t see six weeks averages: they only see semester marks. Many schools will let their early decision or early action students know their admission status before the end of the first semester. Therefore, many seniors will know where they’re going before their future school sees their grades.

“Yes, I’m currently in that stage [of Senioritis], but I’m sure once I finish all my common apps, I’m sure I’ll be in like the full stage of it,” Elliot Nelson said.

Many other seniors on the other hand, aren’t going to have full onset Senioritis the first semester. That’s because they aren’t early decision or action, so their future school will be seeing their semester averages. Subsequently, these students are still driven. The real question is how to keep these high school students working, even when they’ve already been enrolled or admitted to a University.

“I can’t battle it,” Emerson said. “I have no motivation to do anything”

However, HPHS has developed an interesting strategy to make sure students are still showing up to their classes and studying hard. As long as a senior has no more than four absences, with none unexcused, they are exempt from their exams, assuming they made above an 80 for their semester grades. This policy makes sure that seniors are focused on getting good grades and attending their courses. This policy continues for the second semester as well, when all seniors are plagued by Senioritis. Undoubtedly, many students who are seniors still take a portion of their exams, but at least there is a way out for those willing to put in the effort. Coach Harris made it very clear to the graduating class at their meeting that the second half of senior year is the best time of their life, but they can mess it up if they’re not careful. Senioritis is a good recipe for making sure exams have to be taken. Therefore, it is recommended not to get Senioritis, obviously. Yet, Emerson pretty much summed up the best way to overcome Senioritis.

“Become a freshman in college,” Emerson said. “That’s pretty much it.