<p>Today at dinner, my parents discussed with me the need to plan out how I'm going to be using my allowance of ten unexcused (non-school-related) absences, and to be careful not to use all of them at once because I don't want to end up needing them and not having any to use. I told them about upcoming half-days and they were like, "Why go to school? We'll call you in."</p>
<p>Yes. My parents are advising me to plan how I'm going to ditch school. I hadn't even had big plans to ditch school, besides Senior Ditch Day. I love it.</p>
<p>I actually think that when we talk about senioritis (especially on these boards), we're talking about highly motivated kids who work hard for their grades. Oftentimes the stigmatized term "senioritis" is less about how students "'reward' themselves at the end of a stressful experience by avoiding work" and more about whether they can let the useless part slide.</p>
<p>A personal example: I'm taking AP Government. It's the AP U.S. Gov material first semester and AP Comparative Gov second semester. I've found that the quizzes on our Comparative book are ridiculous: you can grasp the essence of the chapter as a concept, and even the relevant supporting information as a knowledge base, and the quizzes will still throw random crap at you from left field, entirely missing the important material. Now that I'm in my third semester, I can say, "Fine. Screw trying to memorize the author's opinions/random facts word for word. I'm going to learn this because it's interesting, not for the quiz."</p>
<p>And THAT'S what is often - oh so unfortunately - termed "senioritis." Why? Because not "teaching/learning to the test" might make my grade drop from an A to a B+.</p>
<p>Our school changed them to 9 each semester (for obvious reasons), so now I only have 9 for the rest of the year instead of the usual 18. My school sucks lol.</p>
<p>I for one am enjoying my period of "senioritis"--which, for me, largely consists of what I normally do, but more relaxed (I get more anxiety from not being in school than I do from coming but not paying much attention, so I would rather come but be relaxed about my studies). It's so nice to be able to feel no guilt for taking the afternoon off and playing with the dog in the park. </p>
<p>MdwestMom: I can go one better: my school is set up such that we get out the week after the AP exams! Our finals in AP classes are basically mock AP-exams, and seniors that meet the requirements have the option to have these "not count" as part of their grades.</p>
<p>Mom here. After 17 years of clearly articulated boundaries, I've pretty completely let go of nagging about homework, curfew, weekend plans, and cleaning up the room. I've decided this is the perfect time for my D to figure out her own limits: she can choose how much sleep she needs to function, when the mountain of clothes on her floor dictates a laundry day, and what it feels like when a weekend of indulgence (skiing, movie marathons, etc.) results in a Monday from he**. </p>
<p>My theory: figure it out this year, not during freshman year. It's a grand experiment, but after a few weeks of questionable choices, she seems to be holding things together. The advice from an admissions officer where she plans to attend recommended that she "enjoy her senior year" and she heard him loud and clear. However, I don't think she wants people to say, "remember that girl who got into those fabulous schools and then skrewed it up spring semester?"</p>
<p>My mom was in HS when they added a 12th grade, up from 11. (Not sure if this was all over the US--maybe it was finally made mandatory?) That must have been a big change for kids--delaying senioritis by a whole year!</p>
<p>As a homeschooling mother, I noticed that even as young kids, by the time the flowers, sunshine, bike riding, bugs, etc. of May came along, my kids were really uninterested in anything academic. So, I just built it into our schedule: no school after Mother's Day - until the 4th of July, when we added in mornings 3 days a week, rainy days, etc. By late Sept when we went on a family vacation, we had a full two months in. </p>
<p>I feel so badly for these high school kids and the pressures they face, especially in spring. Oh! To miss tulips, and maple trees, and bumble bees!</p>
<p>Senioritis is essentially the college admissions burden being lifted off the shoulders of high school seniors. Once the shackles and heavy burdens are off, seniors realize their is no point anymore. High school does not matter anymore. Most kids on here could not show up for the next two semesters and still manage to graduate. It is a joke and when colleges and educators threaten to rescind admission decisions then they are only fighting a tide that cannot be turned.</p>
<p>I'm a senior. I don't have senioritis and I already got my college acceptance (top choice) in the mail. </p>
<p>I mean, yes I am tired of school, but I can easily manage because this semester instead of 4 classes I have 3, and 1 of the 3 i am a teacher's aide, which basically means I grade tests once every 2 weeks, or sleep/do homework every other day that I need to.</p>
<p>I spend literally 0 minutes a day doing Honors Japanese 4 and Honors Chem homework at home cause I just do it during my TA period.
Get to school at 9:20, got an hour and a half of do whatever I want, then chem, then Japanese. Home by 2:45. It is great.</p>
<p>This is a super article. I honestly wish it had been written when I was senior so that I could have something to plead my case to my parents. </p>
<p>Though, I normally take what Jay Mathews writes with a grain of salt. He has a knack for writing the truth as he sees it. Not to detract from the message of the article at all, in fact, I think this is a welcome softening of his normally shrill anti-"academic elitism" rhetoric. I'm excited to finally have someone on the side of sanity.</p>
<p>I was thinking that sadly, the pressure will last til the AP Micro and Macro Econ tests on May 15. My daughter has some nice acceptances and merit money already and had a great mid year report card, but with six AP tests coming in May, the pressure is still on. Not from us parents! We would like to see her relax...</p>
<p>Agreed wholeheartedly. My Christmas Break/Second Semester has been marked by bonfires on Friday, beer pong on Saturdays, and slacking on Sundays.</p>
<p>It's fantastic stuff. If the Ivy Leagues I applied to don't like it, then I'll just haul my ass to USC and enjoy myself for another four years.</p>
<p>My daughter's principal told her senior class that our high school had a girl who had been accepted to Stanford and then had her admission rescinded when she received two C's in the spring of her freshman year. I almost don't believe it.</p>
<p>This is like a perfect description of my second semester philosophy!</p>
<p>I was actually questioning myself very seriously about the possible harm of this practice. When I say that I have Second Semester Senioritis, it is a relative term.</p>
<p>For instace, I am no longer doing optional homework in my AP Stats class (and yet still getting A's on tests and quizzes), putting off essays that won't be checked until the semester ends, not studying for tests in Science or English, and watching movies after practice when I should be doing homework.</p>
<p>I am actually having to ALLOW myself to do these things, it goes against the routine that I've established. But I really think it's going to be good for me - I have so much more time for friends and hanging out now, even combined with the pressure of my sport that increases February through May.</p>
<p>I did get a 4.0 GPA in the first semester in my four AP classes (all A's), something I have never done before in high school - I always get B's in math. And now, I'll still end up with only one or two B's max. I find my courses pretty easy: AP English, AP Stats, AP Environmental Science, AP Government, ASB. In fact, the biggest time committment by far is ASB, as I am the Senior Class President, and have lots of projects going on.
So I'm only slacking to a moderate extent, and I think this is what the Washing Post guy is advocating.</p>