Acute Senioritis
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| Sat, 05-05-2007 - 8:40am |
We are in the "homestretch" with DS18- 19 days left of high school and he will graduate. He has been accepted at his first choice college and has accepted a large academic scholarship, with plans to run track there as well and has "preferred walk-on" status with the coaches. He also has his dorm and roommate assignments. His high school class rank has already been computed, as has the final GPA, and he has qualified for an Academic Honors diploma. The only remaining loose ends he has to tie up are taking the AP Biology exam and finishing track season (he is team captain).
Problem? He has the worst case of senioritis I've ever seen! He strolls in late to school every day- claims his first hour government teacher doesn't take attendance (and I believe it- his last grade report had 0 tardies listed), and hasn't done homework since I'm not sure when ("I'm a senior, homework is pretty much optional at this point"). He spends much of his class time sleeping, except for AP Bio and Anatomy II, because they are interesting to him. Grades? Well, he brought home a grade report last week and had all A's as usual- how can this be possible when he does NOTHING??? Because he is an honors student and captains a state-ranked team no one seems to mind. He is still very dedicated to the track team and I think that is the only reason he even goes to classes some days.
ARRRGGGHHHH! I hate seeing him just totally slack like this- in his mind he has earned it because he has worked so hard up to this point, and part of me understands that, but I would love to see him have a little more respect for his education and finish stronger than this!

Acute senioritis - affliction of 99.9% of high school seniors in the last 9 weeks of the school year. Only known cure is graduation! LOL
Seriously, btdt x 3, and thankfully, it is a self limiting disorder, and almost never results in long term effects. Just hang on for the ride, it'll be over soon. Sorry if I don't sound supportive, but after going down this road with 3 DSs in the past 4 years, I know of no other way to deal with it other than keeping a sense of humor. Teachers are likely cutting your DS some slack simply coz they've been through this with hundreds of other kids and realize that it is a self-limiting disorder, and they're going with the flow until they can get your DS out the door - only to deal with it again next year with a whole new crop of seniors.
Rose
I remember that feeling myself senior year :) I think that there is just something that says, "I have worked so hard....and I know that I've got more ahead of me. Also, I do think that the teachers let it go to a certain degree, even though I know that doesn't help at all! Oh well, maybe this will make you feel better....my ds a soph. has senior-itis. LOL His GF and best friend are both seniors....the teachers aren't into that much LOL either is mom! At least your DS is truely a senior *grin*
Hang in there and have fun with the next few weeks.
Julie
hope it helps to see that your not alone on this one.
Sara
My DS17, also, has senioritis. He had to settle for his 2nd choice college but I think he's accepted it. And he, too, will be taking the AP Biology test next week. His bio teacher chuckled when she heard he's taking it, cuz they teach IB Bio, not AP. (To me, bio is bio...how much different can IB and AP be? And if they have to teach to a test to that extent, then the tests are useless.) But he missed the IB test signup last fall when he'd gotten suspended for admitting to (not actuallly being caught) drinking and we were preoccupied with the hoop-jumping required to get him back in school, rather than with his spring testing--what a @#%^$!#@^ joke! TEll your kids to keep their mouths shut if they are ever questioned by power-hungery administrators.
The senioritis with him, though, is in his calculus class. It seems the teacher is grading them solely on a midterm and a final. He did do well on the midterm, but I never see him study calc at home, and I'm seriously worried about what the final will look like.
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http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/meet_the_new_health_.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM
My daughter, Jennifer, has senioritis. She is going to her first choice school, Columbia, and now she feels like a huge burden is lifted from her shoulders. She has 3 AP tests, Gov, which she did today and said was easy, English this Thursday, and Environmental Science next week. I have accepted her senioritis. She did well on all of her finals, and is not really expected to do much of anything after her Gov and English test and no longer has Environmental science. I have seen her study, but not as hard as before. She is even going to sleep in next week after her last one. As long as she maintains her A's she is fine and I know that this wont last forever.
Julia
Rose - I think you post is DEAD ON!!