For years, people have spoken about the strange affliction that harms many graduating seniors. I am here today to confirm that senioritis is real, and I’m a sufferer.

Merriam-Webster defines senioritis as “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades.”

Typically, this illness afflicts high school seniors who are preparing for college. They begin to become complacent, and their grades slip in the process. Students start skipping classes more than usual and stop doing homework.

The window of time for senioritis to kick in is right after students return from spring break. For some reason, as the countdown to graduation gets closer, motivation runs extremely low with freedom on the horizon.

College students can become prey to senioritis as well. Simple tasks start to take longer to complete, and students procrastinate more than ever. This is something that I can attest to.

For the majority of my college experience, I have been painstakingly organized and on top of all assignments. However, this final semester has been dragging my entire existence through the mud.

According to Huffington Post, “it’s necessary to highlight what’s at stake, students need to arm themselves with the tools to combat the temptation to slack, not just the threat of consequences.”

One way to counteract the slump is to set small goals. This can be accomplished by designating certain days or times for homework and assignments. This leaves plenty of time left over for relaxation and binge-watching.

There is a big focus on socialization senior year because students fear they’ll never see many of their friends again. However, we pay too much money to just “take the L,” as some would say. The bars and restaurants are not going out of business any time soon, which means there’s still time to have fun after submitting projects.

Another way to combat senioritis is to be aware of what’s at stake. Failing to complete assignments as a senior is a mistake that could lead to a decrease in one’s GPA and even a graduation delay.

Many current seniors can verify the lag of senioritis, but it’s far too late to fall behind now. By setting small goals and being mindful, we can get through this illness together and walk across that stage in May.