Senioritis Spreads Among Marist Seniors
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For most students, the second half of the spring semester means blue skies, warm weather and a countdown to summer. For seniors in their last semester, however, the second half of the spring semester means that graduation is creeping up and senioritis is kicking in.
Graduation is supposed to be a joyous time for seniors; however, senioritis can be a nasty situation. Senioritis can affect seniors in many ways, such as a lack of motivation, anxiety or the feeling of burnout. For some, these symptoms have affected their grades, social life and/or mental health.
“I have just felt very checked out since this semester started like everything is just moving at half speed…I’ve sort of slacked off knowing I have a job and grad school lined up…I’ve kind of kicked my feet up,” said Thomas Scarpa ‘23.
Despite the tiring home stretch to graduation, the silver lining for seniors like Scarpa is that many find solace in life after graduation. This comfort can be found in having jobs lined up, getting accepted to graduate school or looking forward to the future.
The future can be nerve-wracking, too. The transition from college life to “real” life can be scary for seniors. Uncertainty about the future is a common feeling for students in their final year of college. Despite this frequent feeling, onlookers oftentimes correlate senioritis with laziness.
This construed association between laziness and senioritis can be discouraging for seniors. Shane Dzimian, a licensed master social worker and clinical counselor at Marist, believes that the misinterpretation of senioritis can be damaging to seniors.
“I think senioritis sometimes can be misunderstood,” said Dzimian. “I think there is this assumption that students become ‘lazy or unmotivated’ or not really seem to care anymore at the end of the year. There’s definitely a fear of change or of uncertainty when you leave the bubble of campus life. I want to catch that idea of not putting this label of senioritis assigned to students.”
Leaving the Marist bubble can be dreadful for some seniors. Many seniors are experiencing their “lasts” of everything—the last time in college, the last time living with their friends or the last time taking a class with their favorite professor.
For Grace Hotaling, this is her last semester playing for the Marist Women’s Soccer Team. Hotaling has been playing soccer since she was little and for her, graduating means leaving her sport behind.
“I think part of my identity is definitely tied to soccer,” said Hotaling. “So, without having it, there’s definitely going to be a period of time where I’m going to have to find something to fill that gap. It’s a little scary, but I’m definitely excited to get into the workforce and explore myself out of my sport.”
As the lasts come to an end, seniors such as Hotaling and Scarpa find excitement in the firsts. With graduation creeping up, there is still so much for seniors to look forward to, including Riverfest and Senior Week.
Being a senior is bittersweet. Experiencing all the lasts while struggling with senioritis can be difficult for most seniors. However, the end is near and the future is promising.
Take it from Kevin Lerner, Associate Professor of Journalism and Chair of the Department of Communication at Marist. Lerner explains his experience with senioritis, saying that his grades dipped a bit during his spring semester of senior year.
He offers advice to any seniors feeling the effects of senioritis, “You’re almost done. Stick with it. College should be fun. You should get yourself into a place where you’re doing well enough by senior year that you can relax in a way that doesn’t turn on you.”