As graduating seniors walk across the stage and receive their diplomas, they enter the next stage of life, full of new beginnings and opportunities. However, for some students, this is not a reality. A lack of effort senior year, along with other factors, can cause an average of five students each year to fall short of the graduation requirements. With so much on the line, students are encouraged to take senior year seriously and not slack off.

“There’s always a handful of seniors who fall short of the graduation requirements each year,” principal Mark Suchowski said. “Six students in 2015 and four students in 2016 fell short of the requirements and were unable to participate in the commencement ceremony.”

Often referred to as “senioritis,” this “ailment” strikes some seniors during their last semester, and is evident when they begin losing motivation to study, do homework and attend school. Senioritis has the potential to affect all students, even those who excel in school.

“I remember the story of one young lady who was very smart but lacked focus senior year,” Suchowski said. “Nervous from not having a solid plan for the future, she began not showing up to classes starting March. When I told her that she did not meet the graduation requirements, she was shocked. She had to complete a lot of makeup work during the summer in order to receive her diploma.”

“It’s especially difficult for seniors once they get accepted to college to try and take school seriously because the next step is already waiting for them. But I think, if nothing else in life, it’s important to finish the task you’re on and do it well before moving on to the next one.”
– Lit. and Comp. 4 teacher Kelly Jones

While some students may fall to the temptation of slacking off, others have developed methods to stay on track.

“I wouldn’t say that senior year has been a coast,” senior Kenton Kline said. “You have to stay in the game and you can’t fall to senioritis. I felt the urge of senioritis but I’ve fought it so far. One thing that’s gotten me through it is I don’t go to sleep unless my work is done, even if it takes me to 3 a.m.”

As the temperature rises come spring, senior grades tend to do the opposite. While it may be tempting to slack off after so many years of hard work, teachers note that doing so may create more work in the long run.

“If you don’t take your classes seriously senior year, you could fail and not graduate,” Lit and Comp 4 teacher Kelly Jones said. “It makes your time miserable, and who wants to end their high school career on a bad note? Why make more trouble for yourself?”

One of the graduation requirements is an English credit during senior year. Aside from the regular curriculum, a major aspect of the course is the Senior Exit presentation, which English teachers encourage seniors to take seriously, as it could have benefits beyond simply receiving a good grade.

“I think the biggest aspect of the class is the culmination of the senior exit presentation,” Jones said. “They’re presenting themselves to the community and essentially it’s their representation of where they’ve been and where they’re going and how they want to get there. Those who take it seriously gain a lot from it as far as figuring out who the heck they are.”

In addition to English, a mathematics course is required to graduate. The College Board suggests that students focus on algebra and geometry, as these classes help students succeed on college entrance exams and in college math classes.

“In the future, some students might not be going into math,” Algebra Two teacher Sara Gadwa said, “But, they still need the problem solving skills of Algebra Two, so it’s important for them to not slack off and get those skills in order to build their math knowledge for the future.”

As college acceptance letters are received and post-graduation plans are made, some students may become eager to move on in life, however, teachers encourage students to finish what they have started before doing so.
“It’s especially difficult for seniors once they get accepted to college to try to take school seriously, because the next step is already waiting for them,” Jones said. “But I think, if nothing else in life, it’s important to finish the task you’re on and do it well before moving on to the next one.”

With a little more than two months until graduation, the light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. Gadwa encourages students to focus and keep in mind the new opportunities that college holds.

“In college, you don’t have a lot of the same restrictions as in high school,” Gadwa said. “Your main motivation to stay focused is moving forward in life and having new freedoms.”

While senior year should be a time to enjoy all of the “lasts” of high school, such as spring break and prom, teachers and administrators encourage students to remain focused and finish the year on a strong note.

“My advice to seniors is to finish the year strong,” Suchowski said. “Just like it is advised every other year, keep focused on the work that needs to be done, pay attention to deadlines, show up to class and support each other. The time to celebrate will come sooner than you think and it is my goal that all 273 students in the current senior class are able to graduate and celebrate their hard work with everyone else.”