For many high school is a long and exhausting experience. Of these years, senior year is thought by many to be the most taxing of them all. It’s the last year, and it’s after the junior turmoil of ACT’s, GPA’s, and college applications. From this taxing year comes the idea of the “senior slide,” that students tend to let their senior year slip in terms of grades. But how legitimate is it, and how does it affect the students here at BRF?

For some senior insight we went to seniors Chaz Churchill and Kate Hegna, and while both seemed to agree that the idea existed, neither thought that it was as extreme a problem as some would be led to believe.

“I’d have to say that I definitely think that when kids get to be seniors they do experience that kind of feeling of, ‘hey, I want to be done’ and it does happen. However, I don’t think that it’s as big of an issue as some people put it out to be,” said Churchill. He then went on to say that most students are pretty set in their homework and study habits by the time they’re seniors, and that some “senioritis” wouldn’t change these enough to truly affect them.

Hegna took it a bit further with the idea that some students may use it as a form of reasoning when it comes to a lower drive and motivation.

“I think since we talk about it like a real thing that it can be an excuse. I guess I definitely have noticed my wanting to actually do work has gone done, and I guess saying it’s senioritis is kind of an excuse for it,” said Hegna, who went on to say that despite this waning want to finish she’s still managed to get all her work done just like any other year.

Juniors Gary Ramos and Taylor Hamilton both had something to say.

“People already know your grades and your GPA, and they don’t really think it matters because colleges look at your junior year,” said Hamilton.

Ramos went on to be a bit critical of the slide in general.

“It’s stupid, because if you plan on going anywhere that requires further education you need your senior year to at least look good.” said Ramos before going on to explain that even though colleges look at your junior year, a strong senior year is important.

Ramos says that even those not planning to pursue college should work hard their senior year due to the fact that a good GPA will look good on any job resume.

Ideas for why seniors lose their motivation were thrown around by a couple of the interviewees.

“I just think it’s a matter of being more involved and more busy your senior year. Ask anyone. People try new sports because, ‘hey, I want to try.’ Ask anyone in the music department, some people go out for the musical and they say ‘hey, I’ll skip practice for homework tonight,’ but senior year it’s all about big roles and making memories so they put extracurricular first,” said Churchill.

Making memories was also brought up as a motivator.

“They focus more on fun than on finishing school work. It’s their last year of high school,” said Hamilton.

And finally, the simple fact that a little bit of slacking will still allow you to graduate.

“I think just the fact that you get into this mentality of ‘I’ll still be able to graduate, I’ll still be able to walk.’ I guess you think that in the long term of things that this won’t matter as long as I’m able to graduate, so you get complacent,” said Hegna.

Still, while the motivation, the whys and the whats, about the senior slide are important, what’s more important is whether or not it really has affected our seniors, and how our future seniors intend to avoid it.

“More involved courses that involve a lot of outside of school study like APUSH, Music Theory, independent studies. It definitely made getting that out of class study time in much more challenging for sure. Being so involved and having a million other things to do has left me unable to go over material as much as I like,” said Churchill.

Hegna had a similar sentiment.

“I have noticed my motivation to get school work and what not done has decreased throughout the year,” said Hegna, “I want to be done, so big assignments just feel like an obstacle between me and walking across the stage. So I just have to get through them so I can be done.”

At the same time, both also stated that they managed to finish their homework and prepare for tests on a similar level as all their other years of high school.

Both Hamilton and Ramos shared their plans to stay on top of things senior year.

“I’m just going to have stay organized and make sure I know all the assignments that are due and test things, and do my best to keep up and remember that senior year does matter. Don’t let all your work from the last three years go to waste because you decided to just have fun,” said Hamilton.

Ramos went for a much simpler message.

“I’m going to pay attention. And I’m going to actually work. I’m going to be a student.”