As we dive into the winter season, you may find yourself feeling a little off. Your inability to get up from your bed in time to get to school may have increased while your memory, when it comes to project and test deadlines, has deteriorated. Not to mention your motivation for anything other than graduation has plummeted and you probably can’t even remember the last time that you put effort into your outfits.

If you feel yourself nodding in agreement to any of these symptoms, you may need to get checked because you have come down with senioritis.

Senioritis is defined by Oxford dictionary as a supposed affliction of students in their final year of highschool or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.

This illness is something that has the ability to affect anyone and is heightened around the second semester.

“I find myself worrying and thinking about life after high school,rather than stressing about my grades,” senior Alichia House said. “The closer we get to graduation, the harder it becomes for me to stay motivated because graduating feels like the only thing that is left to do.”

It is really easy to feel like this. After all, we have come so far. We have not only survived almost 12 years of education, but we grinded through and worked hard at them. Giving up right when we are about to cross the finish line can seriously damage your future.

For those of you going to college, it is important to note that colleges will look at your final year grades.

Getting into your top choice school does not mean that you’re completely accepted. Colleges have the ability to rescind their offers of admission if they see a big dip in your second semester grades. Colleges also might put you into academic probation because poor grades show them a lack of comprehension, which wastes your time and money. Even merit based financial aid can be affected if you don’t end the year right.

Although House has a less severe case of senioritis since she is an IB Diploma candidate, she can’t help but stress that students need to find something that motivates them to get past senioritis.

“Remember that you only have a short way to go. You have finished the hard part so don’t give up now,” House said.

Another way to combat senioritis is by creating small goals to accomplish every week. This could be anything from showing up to all of your classes on time, finishing your homework on time, studying for your test, to dedicating a day every week that you will dress up.

The one true cure to senioritis is of course graduation but the only person that can lessen the symptoms is you.

Class of 2018, you can be the end to senioritis. Let’s set an example for underclassmen and finish the year even better than we started.