by Julia Moss
sen·ior slump
[sinyər sluhmp] noun
A relaxation period for seniors in high school that takes place during their second semester. Many students begin their ‘slump’ after finalizing their post-graduation plans. Knowing where they are going next, many seniors feel much less pressure in terms of school work and have a chance to enjoy their last few months of high school.
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- During their last semester, seniors feel less pressure to do school work, so they “slump.”
According to senior Allie Phillips, “’senior slump’ is a great thing.”
“I haven’t really had to do homework in a couple of weeks, and, when I do do homework, I feel a lot less stressed about it. Not having the pressure makes learning more fun.”
Phillips added that the “slump” is not only about having less work. “Part of the mentality of ‘senior slump’ is that it’s about having a good time,” she said.
Senior Manny Lopez has a similar view of “senior slump” to Phillips. “You’re in high school for four years working really hard, so it’s understandable to slack off the last year,” he said. “By second semester senior year, we don’t do any work, but we earned it.”
Senior Emily Paley has been “slumping” long before second semester started, because she was accepted to college over Thanksgiving, she said.
“It is such a good thing because it means that we can relax. I have more time to spend with my friends, and there’s also not as much pressure within friend groups. Earlier in the year and even last year, there was so much talk about college everywhere.”
Paley said that she is still involved in many activities, despite already getting credit for them in the eyes of college boards. “After you hand in your senior sheet, the portfolio of all the things you did in high school, some people don’t feel the need to continue with the activities that they were doing,” she said. “I’m still doing everything I do because I love it.”
Senior Mira Netsky is one of the few seniors who is not experiencing the “slump.” “I’ve gotten so used to working really, really hard, and I can’t stop now,” she said. “I think that my lack of ‘slump’ probably won’t change.”
However, Netsky said that she still thinks ‘senior slump’ is generally positive. “Although I’m not slumping, I think it’s nice for other people to finally get a break,” she said.
While it is important to enjoy the benefits of ‘senior slump,’ do not take it too far. Phillips said, “The one thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want to get rescinded from college. If your grades drop dramatically, a college could potentially ‘unaccept’ you.”
Paley said, “It’s a common misconception that we have zero work. Some people take it too literally and don’t do anything. The teachers aren’t quite as lenient as I thought they were going to be. There is so much less pressure now, but you still don’t want to disappoint the teachers.”
As long as students are careful not to get carried away, ‘senior slump’ is something that all freshmen, sophomores and juniors can look forward to in the years to come. We deserve it.
