I have had over a week to write this senioritis blog article.  The students in Multimedia Journalism II operate on an 11-school-day cycle.  We need to have a draft in by the eighth day.  If “Day 1” is on a Monday, then “Day 8” is on the following Wednesday.  The quickest turnaround possible is a total of ten days.  This seems like it would be plenty of time to write a simple, 300-word article about how senioritis has affected me…

Right now it is midnight on the night before my draft for this article is due.  I am not really even concentrating on my homework; or this article for that matter.  I am listening to Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow” and thinking about my future.  Classic senioritis. 

I feel like I tried every way to delay writing this draft.  I made excuse after excuse to myself.  I cannot even imagine how many times I told myself “I will just do it tomorrow.”  My week has consisted of zoning out in half of my classes, going to track, coming home, eating dinner, getting on my laptop, and then drifting in and out of sleep starting at about 8:00 p.m. 

Senioritis has hit me hard.  Even though I vowed that it would not. 

I have been a hard-working student for well over a decade and last year, as a junior, I swore that I would maintain my good study habits as I transitioned into my senior year.  During weeknights before this year started, I studied hard and finished all of my assignments.  I was focused solely on school work.

However, now I am a fourth-quarter senior, already accepted into a college.  On an average day this year, I do whatever I can to escape the clutches of school.  It is that last nine weeks of this little community before I transition to life on my own at college.  I do what I can to enjoy my time left.  I will relax, go out to eat, or hang out with my friends.  When I get home I wait until 11:00 p.m. to start only the homework that must be done for tomorrow.  Sometimes I study for tests at home, but that is rarely the case.  There are several days when I do not even touch my backpack after I get home. 

Many seniors out there know what I mean and are having the same experiences.  Sleeping through study hall, copying vocabulary words the lunch period before the test, and having an “I don’t really care” attitude are some of the common symptoms of senioritis that many seniors ’11 share.

I am trying to find the motivation to continue working hard.  The further it gets into the year, the harder it is to find motivation.  I promised myself that I would not succumb to senioritis at all, and that was probably unrealistic of me.  However, for the last quarter, I pledge to at least care about school and do some work.  But I know that enjoying the end of high school life will be a top priority too.  I guess I will have to just play it by ear.