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It’s the Season for “Seniorits”

My father was a school teacher for 32 years. Although he spent 2 years teaching at the middle school level (which he refers to as a time when he thought of changing professions), he spent most of his career teaching high school students.  My dad would often share his wisdom about high school, and there was one particular term that my siblings and I know very well: ‘Senoritis’.

Senoritis is usually limited to high school seniors, although a few juniors have been found on occasion to show symptoms.  Senoritis can become contagious – especially among students who are often in close proximity of each other. Symptoms include:

A desire to skip classes (especially in the mornings, or on Fridays, or minimum days, or when the weather is nice). This desire strengthens as the school year progresses, reaching its peak around May.

Procrastination:  May show a tendency to do the minimum work required. Often manifests itself in the form of  waiting until the last minute to complete homework assignments, studying for tests, or completing projects.  This typically results in 2:00 AM cram sessions that cause parents to question why they had children in the first place.

Lack of motivation: Includes going through classes with very little concentration and a tendency to either sleep, text, or do anything except pay attention to the lesson.

Appearance of ‘short-timer’ syndrome:  A short-timer is one who is approaching the end of his/her high school career and as such begins to demonstrate a lack of caring for high school overall. Also known as “I’m outta here” disease.

Thankfully, my 8th grade daughter has a few years before she is at risk for Senoritis, but I know it is coming.  I can already see some symptoms of ’8th-gradeitis’ (a sister disease of Seniorits, but not as severe) in her daily routine. I am sure she will be in for a rude awakening this fall when she begins her Freshman year at the local high school.

Even with the symptoms mentioned above, I don’t believe Senoritis is all that terrible as long as it’s kept in check. I am a survivor of ‘Senoritis’.   My attitude toward school during the end of my Senior year plummeted.  By May, Fridays were known as ‘beach days’ rather than school days.

In the end, I, like the vast majority of Seniors, made it through the end of high school and was completely symptom free by the first week of my Freshman year at college.  Then again, I had my Dad – a seasoned high school teacher – who knew how to manage the disease: allowing me just enough freedom to let the disease run its course, but all along ensuring that I did not steer too far away from the path to college.

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One Response to “It’s the Season for “Seniorits””


  1. Rosemary
    on Apr 13th, 2011
    @ 8:39 pm

    Very well written! Are there more inspiring articles to come???????/

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