By late April most seniors know where they’re going to college or are focusing on their careers after graduation. We’ve done the hard stuff, the state and standardized testing is done and we’ve gone through four years of this whole high school thing. Let’s face it, the end is near (as in 43 days til graduation, near). But because seniors are on the homestretch, does it really mean they can just start coasting?

Seniors who have experienced a severe loss in motivation to do school work – or even to show up to class at that – are a population of students that are the unfortunate, self-diagnosed, sufferers of senioritis. But does this pseudo-sickness, senioritis, enable students to identify with the symptoms like it’s some chronic issue? Has senioritis become a contagious infection spread via topic of discussion?

Personally I think the prevalence of this term, having been mentioned on social media countless times, been overheard from conversations of past seniors for years, and even been used as an excuse for leverage from teachers and parents, has enabled seniors to simply allow themselves to stop trying and blame it on this made up phenomena. Then again when you notice your fellow classmate’s Snapchat story going out to Tea Bar at 10:30am on a Tuesday while you’re sitting in the comfort of 2nd period, you can’t help but think you may be contracting hints of that infamous senioritis.

Many claim the only treatment for this sickness is the liberation found outside the classroom, however the side-effects may include, and are not limited to, lowered grades, calls home, and that “Hey! Get over here.” from Coach Nicks during your attempt to, “just get something from your car.”

So what is it – can everyone cut us seniors a break these final weeks, or is senioritis just an excuse for the big kids to slip in that English assignment a day (or two) past the due date?