It’s that time of year again. Late nights watching Netflix and long days of struggling to stay awake in class. I drink three cups of coffee just to be slightly conscious during one class period. In between the overdose of caffeine and lack of sleep, I’m sure I’m suffering from some major health conditions. But the one I’m suffering from the most, the one that makes me question the mere purpose of this torture device we call school is senioritis.

I told myself I wasn’t going to get it. That I would push through and stay focused, keep on top of things, actually care about class. However, my mental health took a turn for the worse once I submitted my final scholarship application. But honestly, it’s nothing to beat myself up about.

As a senior, this is my 26th semester attending school. That’s right, I’ve done this 26 times already and have stayed (decently) focused in all the previous 25. Senioritis is our time to take a mental break and enjoy what’s left of high school. No, there’s nothing wrong with me. I am not trying to fail out of high school months before I graduate, but slacking off a little bit to reward those long 25 semesters of hard work is perfectly acceptable.

Senioritis looks like baggy sweat pants and even baggier eyes. It’s the collection of unexcused tardies. It’s the “Oh, just one more episode” then paying for it the next morning, only to repeat the ritual again that night. It looks like desperate pleas to your mother, begging her to call you out of school because you “just can’t” today.

Ninety percent (63/70) of KHS seniors admitting to having some form of senioritis and 79 percent (49/61) said they first started showing symptoms of senioritis during first semester.

It starts small, like the mere thought of all the things you could be doing besides sitting through calculus. But then it festers inside you. And as it grows it starts to consume your energy and your thoughts until eventually it occupies your whole body. All of your motivation seems wiped away, and you’re okay with that.

So go ahead, seniors. Go for that extra episode of Netflix. Take an extended study break to hang out with friends. There is only so much time left with each other, take advantage of it. You deserve it. As long as you end the year with a diploma in your hand, you’ve done something right. But, my guess is that if you had the attention span to get all the way through this article, there still might be hope.

Perry Tatlow