Senioritis
Encyclopedia
Senioritis, from the word senior plus the suffix -itis (which refers to inflammation
but in colloquial speech is assumed to mean an illness), is a colloquial term
used in the United States
and Canada
to describe the decreased motivation
toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school
, college
and graduate school
careers.
"I have a bad case of senioritis".
, lack of motivation, a drop in academic performance, a desire to drop out of school, and "coasting", which is the act of going through classes with very little concentration or application of intent along with truancy and frequent tardiness. This often happens in the last year of high school
, college
or even graduate school
.
in Pennsylvania
received a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to establish a "Senior Semester" Program.
The College Board
, the National Youth Leadership Council
, and other youth-serving organizations suggest that there are many ways schools can help young people make the most of their senior year instead of succumbing to the temptation to take it easy once graduation is assured. Giving young people opportunities to make their academic work more meaningful through service-learning
, or other forms of experiential education
, can increase students' academic aspirations.
and high school
s may rescind offers of admission. Those who experience senioritis are often shocked when colleges and universities send them a letter the summer before their fall semester starts telling them that they can no longer attend the college due to failure in the academic rigor that they promised in the interview or application process. Nonetheless, it is widely known that most colleges do not rescind, and even the most elite schools only revoke a very small number of students. However, senioritis in high school may still cause the incoming college freshmen to not be as adequately prepared for the rigor of college level studies as they would be without the senioritis. A decrease in academic performance due to senioritis may also create difficulties, should the college decide to rescind the acceptance decision.
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
but in colloquial speech is assumed to mean an illness), is a colloquial term
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
used in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to describe the decreased motivation
Motivation
Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...
toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
and graduate school
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
careers.
"I have a bad case of senioritis".
Symptoms
The main symptoms of senioritis include procrastinationProcrastination
In psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low-priority, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time...
, lack of motivation, a drop in academic performance, a desire to drop out of school, and "coasting", which is the act of going through classes with very little concentration or application of intent along with truancy and frequent tardiness. This often happens in the last year of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
or even graduate school
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
.
Research
Family and community life had failed youth in their transitions to adulthood. Writers like James Coleman, Chairman of the President's Panel of Youth, urged changes in the high school curriculum to address the problem of senioritis. These concerns gave rise to the implementation of a "Senior Semester" in many high schools throughout the country, which allowed Seniors to spend time outside of the school or attend seminars in their specific interests. In 1974, for example, McKeesport Area High SchoolMcKeesport Area High School
McKeesport Area High School is a public high school located in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, in the United States.The school, which is located at 1960 Eden Park Boulevard, serves students from Dravosburg, McKeesport, South Versailles, Versailles, and White Oak....
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
received a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to establish a "Senior Semester" Program.
The College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
, the National Youth Leadership Council
National Youth Leadership Council
The National Youth Leadership Council, or NYLC, is a national nonprofit organization located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that promotes service-learning in schools and communities across the United States. Founded in 1983 by Dr. James Kielsmeier, NYLC is the host of the annual National Service-Learning...
, and other youth-serving organizations suggest that there are many ways schools can help young people make the most of their senior year instead of succumbing to the temptation to take it easy once graduation is assured. Giving young people opportunities to make their academic work more meaningful through service-learning
Service-learning
Service-learning is a method of teaching, learning and reflecting, frequently youth service, throughout the community. As a teaching method, it falls under the philosophy of experiential education...
, or other forms of experiential education
Experiential education
Experiential education is a philosophy of education that describes the process that occurs between a teacher and student that infuses direct experience with the learning environment and content. The term is mistakenly used interchangeably with experiential learning...
, can increase students' academic aspirations.
Consequences
In some more serious cases where students allow their grades to drop quite significantly, universitiesUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s may rescind offers of admission. Those who experience senioritis are often shocked when colleges and universities send them a letter the summer before their fall semester starts telling them that they can no longer attend the college due to failure in the academic rigor that they promised in the interview or application process. Nonetheless, it is widely known that most colleges do not rescind, and even the most elite schools only revoke a very small number of students. However, senioritis in high school may still cause the incoming college freshmen to not be as adequately prepared for the rigor of college level studies as they would be without the senioritis. A decrease in academic performance due to senioritis may also create difficulties, should the college decide to rescind the acceptance decision.
Popular Media
Senioritis has also been mentioned as song titles by bands such as Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Son of the State and Game-21.External links
- The College Board: What to do About Senioritis
- Jostens: Dealing with Senioritis
- Tate Thompson. http://www.amazon.com/dp/094386447X/. June, 2003.