There is a disease that ultimately infects all college students during their senior year.
There are no colds or coughs involved, but a noted increase in partying, procrastination and laziness are often symptoms.
The disease is called senioritis, and it’s spreading all over the UT campus.
The epidemic is psychological. The idea of leaving college after four years can be frightening to many students. Seniors often ask questions about post-college uncertainties: Will I succeed after college? Will I get a job? Will I ever see my college friends again? Did my hard work pay off?
UT senior Jeff Wells reflected upon why he thinks seniors are more preoccupied than ever before.
‘I think we have senioritis for multiple reasons,’ he said. ‘The lifestyle we live in is coming to an end. In college, we don’t have the work worries that we will have after we graduate. We are more focused on getting a job.’
Another senior, Jenna Klassman, is taking four classes this fall and three classes in the spring.
‘I think we go out at least four times a week, that’s bad isn’t it?’ she said jokingly. ‘I think we get senioritis because our classes might not be as intense. We just want to go out and be with our friends as much as possible.’
But the problem is that most students are taking the same level of difficult courses and credits as they did the semesters before. Will they be able to keep up their cumulative GPA? Or will senioritis consume them?
‘I find myself less interested in completing my work. It’s more of a hassle now,’ Wells said.
‘I absolutely hate sitting in a two-hour class in the mid-afternoon … I get so antsy to get out of class. I sit on the edge of my seat and countdown the seconds. The sad part is I’m only taking three classes this semester,’ senior Meredith Mandato said.
There are not any vaccines for this illness but seniors must remember all the work they’ve put in over four years.
‘I’m happy to finally get my degree but sad because you cannot duplicate this lifestyle [college]. I’ll miss the keggers, house parties and the people in general. But I am happy to start a new chapter ‘hellip; you graduate high school and reinvent yourself in college, now you graduate college and reinvent yourself for the next chapter,’ Wells said.