What seniors are feeling right now can technically be labeled.

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, senioritis is defined as “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences and lower grades.”
Some students say senioritis, a term frequently attributed to high school seniors, is spreading across NIU’s campus.

“You used to find that senioritis was much more common in high schools than at universities, but with the current pressures on graduating college students, it is increasing,” said psychology professor Phil Krasula. “There isn’t really a buffer between getting out of school and entering the real world.”

Krasula believes many different factors can be blamed for causing senioritis.
“Graduates are trying to find jobs as soon as they can and are finding difficulties due to the poor economy,” Krasula said. “This causes stress that could have a negative impact on class performance.

Ryan Trine, senior public relations major, finds another aspect of his job hunt that affects his class performance.

“I’ve been applying to different places, and I have had to miss class to work on my resume and go to interviews,” Trine said.

Senior history major John Work also finds the prospects of seeking a job unappetizing but is excited to finish school.

“I definitely have senioritis, and I can’t wait to finish but the job market is so bad that I’m kind of worried,” Work said. “I look forward to finishing because I feel burned out from being in school so long though.”

Krasula believes that Work brings up another aspect of senioritis.
“Some students just get burned out over time,” he said. “These students may just be limping to the finish line.”

For others, the opposite case is true.

“Other students are lifelong learners and love school,” Krasula said. “To them, the prospect of having to stop schooling is scary, so that could be a distraction. Or they could be applying to graduate schools, which presents its own set of distractions.”

To Work, the cause of most college senioritis is clear.
“Sixteen years of schooling is a long time,” he said. “It is only normal to be ready for school to end before it actually does.”

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