<p>First of all, do you think that "senioritus" even exists?</p>
<p>It did for me, in high school and college. High school was hard for me socially. The August before my senior year, I got a job in a fast-food restaurant and for the first time, realized that this whole high-school thing actually would come to an end and that there really was something else out there. Ironically, my senior year was my best one socially, but school itself was hard to handle. I remember understanding for the first time why people dropped out of high school, and, had I not come from a background where it simply wasn’t done, I might have.
My last semester of college was rough too. My sorority chapter had closed that spring, I was living with my parents and we were driving each other crazy and I just wanted out. I took the first job that came along and that was an unmitigated disaster, but that’s another thread.</p>
<p>Senioritis? Of course. It is mainly just that particular mindset that usually occurs second semester senior year when you have finished applying to colleges and are just trying to relax and enjoy your last moments of high school. Typically there are more fun activities and events second semester which helps propel the senioritis mindset that you are “done” and can just cruise by now.</p>
<p>I do think senioritis exists…as a society we’re pushing the college process earlier and earlier…starting in junior year. For many kids by the time they are only a couple months into high school, admissions from EA and results from the competitiveness to do early rolling admissions are hitting the inboxes and mailboxes. Many kids psychologically feel like high school is “over” by December. Even the kids that are engaged in senior year are influenced by kids that have already mentally “moved on” to college. I’m on record as saying that I don’t like this and think the entire “college application process” should be tightened up to a narrower time period. One quarter of the traditional 9-12 high school experience is diminished.</p>
<p>While senioritus did exist at my HS, it was exhibited in such a way that you’d really had to be attending school with them for 4 years to notice. </p>
<p>It wasn’t your stereotypical senioritus as everyone was wary of having their college admissions rescinded or worse, being forced to spend another year in HS. 5 kids in my year who made it to senior year were left back for reasons such as: somehow skipping all of their English requirement courses, mouthing off too rudely to a teacher who then flunked the student on class participation grounds, and having their required 20 page English senior thesis* flunked/rejected despite acing everything else. </p>
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<li>This was a non-negotiable graduation requirement on top of our regular academic workload.</li>
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<p>The biggest reason for the seniorist is not having a reason to continue to do well. Why bother when you are only go into the work force or military. Why bother to work hard if you don’t get not credit for it. </p>
<p>I don’t understand why it happens for those that are going off to good colleges. I don’t understand it when they do poorly in their AP classes. Doing well can save them the aggravation of having to repeat the class again. </p>
<p>My dd had one of her best HS semesters the last semester. I made her well aware of what she did in the end will impact her college years.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids had senioritis of the kind that results in poor study habits, in fact both poured themselves into projects senior year in a way that was only hinted at earlier.
However, the personality changes that late teens go through were still there. ( but apparently only exhibited at home)</p>
<p>Yes, absolutely especially when you get admission to your favorite college in January.</p>
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Ummm, the work force and the military (especially the military) have requirements and standards too. Many bright college-material kids do a hitch in the service first in order to get college money. College right after high school (or ever), isn’t for everybody, most of the people on CC not withstanding</p>
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<p>Not necessarily. At many respectable/elite colleges, the content covered on AP tests is such that it’s not regarded as remotely adequate in comparison to their own introductory courses. </p>
<p>Moreover, even if one’s AP is accepted for core requirement credit…it may leave the student with serious knowledge/methodological gaps which impacts them in more advanced classes. An older college classmate had this experience when he needed me to carry out a refresher crash course on US History despite receiving a 5 on that AP because it was impacting his understanding of material covered in more advanced core/major courses in his related field. </p>
<p>In retrospect, he’d have been better off not taking that US History AP credit and taking the actual courses at our LAC. </p>
<p>From what I’ve heard…it’s worse with many students taking STEM majors/courses.</p>
<p>I had a little senioritis last year, but was still able to finish off with straight A’s. Lots of colleges nowadays are rescinding acceptees who have a noticeable drop in grades at the end of senior year.</p>
<p>Football mom, that reminds me of news regarding a friends son yesterday. He is graduating from the Air Force Academy as a 2nd Lt., and is headed to flight school in Florida. Everyone is very proud.</p>
<p>rspence, which one would rescind? I’ve only heard the UCs do.</p>
<p>Yes lots of colleges rescind but only a very few kids get rescinded. My feeling is those kids that can’t keep their eye on the ball for 8 months of senior year enough to eek out Bs if they have been A students probably shouldn’t be heading off to college anyway…they aren’t ready.</p>
<p>momofthreeboys, D1 slacked off the second half of senior year. She was very ready for college, in fact, she just graduated this year.
EDIT to add that I’m now glad that my kid slacked off, none of her senior year AP classes were useful for credit at her college.</p>
<p>Cobrat even the Ivies grant credit for AP work. Sure there are some AP classes that these colleges don’t accept but they do accept enough of them that most students take like calculus, languages and science courses. Most colleges take something and the lower the rank of the college the more likely they will get more credit. I believe more kids go to lesser ranked college than to the higher ranked. </p>
<p>I will concede that some don’t even take any AP credit like Amherst(although they will grant higher placement) but students attending these colleges should really be pulling 5’s their AP tests anyway. I do think it more of a money reason for Amherst not to grant credit than anything else. If AP credit had no education value, than Williams and Swathmore would not give any credit or higher placement either but they do give credit
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<p>DrGoogle, I highly doubt your daughter dropped from As to Ds which is about what it takes to get rescinded.</p>
<p>momofthreeboys, she almost had a D, ended up with a C- in Calc. I think some of the UCs would have rescinded her.</p>
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<p>Williams and Swarthmore are probably taking them more due to institutional inertia and because AP tests probably did have value as equivalents to college courses at one time…before they got watered down over the decades due to greater clamoring for APs for every student…even those who aren’t remotely prepared, greater trends of parents arguing with teachers over bad grades…no matter how well merited, and inconsistent academic standards in US K-12 schools…sometimes even within the same school district/school. </p>
<p>Moreover, one doesn’t necessarily need to take AP courses to get higher placement. Departmental placement exams or a long focused assessment or few with the Prof of the higher-level course could achieve the same ends for far less money(free)…and with a greater chance that the higher placement won’t place the student in question at a great disadvantage due to knowledge/methodological gaps. </p>
<p>Moreover, placement exams were mandatory for everyone for foreign languages…even those with AP credits in the same language at many colleges. You’d only get credit for a given Foreign Language AP if you passed the department’s own exam to their satisfaction. If you didn’t…tough cookies even if you received a 5 on it.</p>
<p>“Senioritis,” symptoms are all reletive to the student in question. If the student is one who has to force him/herself to get the work done(ie not self-driven or minus a “plan”) chances are once all the hoops have been jumped through, the more likely they’re apt to slack off. Grade drop-off isn’t the only side effect of Senioritis however . . . many students(such as our D) just mentally/emotionally check out that 2nd half of senior year. Our D feels as though she’s been stuck in limbo for the past 3 months. Truth be told, she has been done(emotionally) with high school the past year and a half. She has not let her grades slip at all but has been miserable and listless towards school since she received her “likelies.” The transitory nature of senior year can be weary. So I guess count me in the camp that insists it exists.</p>