BUNow Health Alert: Senioritis Strikes Campus

Untitled from Andrea Fake on Vimeo.�
by Andrea Fake, Amanda Jones, Brooke Knepp and Saroya Royster

The initial excitement and thrill for the freedom and experiences offered in college life wear off for every student once the pressure of papers, numerous tests, and social drama starts to arise. After awhile, the average college student becomes tired and uninterested in drinking every night and waking up to their usual 8 a.m. quiz. The summer air has surfaced and the notion of finishing any work that is due has suddenly become an afterthought.

What is this epidemic that millions of college students are facing nationwide? A disease has spread that is being referred to as “senioritis.” As we progress through our college years, we began to question senioritis and what it entails.

In a recent survery of students in their freshman to senior years, we found that 81 percent of Bloomsburg students are currently dealing with senioritis.

A devoted student to his work, senior Tyler Morgan describes senioritis as, “Not wanting to go to class.” This simple explanation from someone with four-years experience under his belt gives the rest of us little faith that our hard-working habits will stay strong.

Many students at Bloomsburg University disclosed that like the flu, senioritis tends to be seasonal with outbreaks before Christmas break and right before summer. Many seniors have already landed internships and jobs, making that last-minute Anthropology paper seem pointless. Though 62 percent of BU students feel that senioritis is a disease, there are still 41 percent of persistent students attending class regularly in efforts to get their money’s worth of education by “showing up.”

We all entered into college with high hopes and anticipation for making new friends and having a fresh start. So when did the cycle change? Many college students say the stress and thoughts of not caring start to surface during junior year when students feel they are in between a rock and a hard place. High school days are far behind and careers and thoughts of future plans are soon ahead, yet students feel confused and anxious about what the future holds.

The real definition of senioritis varies from student to student, some thinking it’s an emotional experience due to uncertainty about the future and others suggesting pure laziness. Some students claim to have senioritis as early as their freshman year.

Researcher James Coleman suggests that senioritis can be prevented both at the high school and college level through giving students meaningful work and assignments that are intended to better their future in efforts to opening doors, “Giving young people opportunities to make their academic work more meaningful through service-learning, or other forms of experiential education, can increase students’ academic aspirations”. In asking if senioritis should be considered an issue at Bloomsburg University, Sheena Adkins said, “Yes, I believe it’s an issue at every college and all students feel it at some point.” As we take steps towards trying to further our student learning, opportunities and college experience, we should take into account this “disease” facing our students at Bloomsburg University.