Grades dropping, missing assignments stacking, and tardies and absences accumulating — all “symptoms” of the ailment that affects some students in their last year of high school: senioritis. However, senioritis is not limited to only academics. In an art driven school like Dreyfoos, senioritis may impact students within their art area. According to a survey conducted by The Muse, of the 45.9% of seniors that feel somewhat more or much more passionate toward their art area compared to past years, 48.2% attribute that increase in passion to feeling less pressure in their academic classes.
Meanwhile, another 42.7% of seniors feel somewhat less or much less passionate toward their art area compared to past years. Seeing as only 11.5% of seniors felt no change in their passion toward their art area, it is evident that many seniors change their relationship with their art — though experiences with this phenomenon differ.
Strings senior Vincenzo Serra
Overhead lights illuminated his face and his violin as strings senior Vincenzo Serra walked on the annual Prism concert stage his senior year. Serra said that as his performance in orchestra ended and the crowd cheered, he felt as though he was “rediscovering his passion for the very first time.” Though Serra has chosen to pursue a career path focused mostly on business, he said he realized at that moment on stage that he was not ready to put down his violin forever. Serra is now considering supplementing his business degree with one in music.
“It’s all about finding a balance,” Serra said. “Everything in life is about balance and figuring out how to best use all of your time efficiently, (like knowing) where to put all of your strength into academics and how to focus on music with the same force.”
In order to not experience senioritis within his academics, Serra said he tries to stay “focused on his goals” to stay on track every day. Some of his goals include limiting procrastination, working out by boxing and wrestling, spending time with his friends, and decompressing and having fun.
“I think (senioritis is) natural, especially when you start committing (to college) and get accepted to colleges,” Serra said. “You start to feel a lack of purpose, especially within your major. It’s important (to remember) why you are at the school in the first place. I try to remind myself that the habits I build now are going to carry with me to college, and building them now will help me succeed moving forward in life.”
Visual senior Lindsey Gammill
Gammill remembers when she used to draw during her spare time. Now a senior, her schedule has become full of new endeavors such as starting a new job and spending time with her friends and family now that leaving for college is within reach. Because of these activities, she does less of her art recreationally and focuses her attention mostly on her assigned pieces.
“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve made a piece of art that I identify with since last year or this summer,” Gammill said.
Although Gammill has decided to attend a liberal arts college as either an education or illustration major, Gammill said she felt senioritis within her art area “like crazy.” She explained that she felt this way before being accepted into college and it has affected her relationship with her art.
“I don’t identify with my art because I don’t invest enough of myself in it,” Gammill said. “By the end of the process, I feel so detached. This hurts because I know my potential, and I know that I have a lot more to say with my art.”
Some seniors take on tasks like college and scholarship applications, especially at the beginning of the school year. According to the U.S.Department of Education, the stress of balancing academic and future career priorities can cause senioritis, leading to a decrease in motivation and grades. In Gammill’s case, she said she has experienced this effect in her academics and art area simultaneously.
“The pressure of everything builds up in my head, and then I just give up and slow down,” Gammill said. “I had senioritis before I even got into any schools. I was just so done.”
Dance senior Lilly Foster
Foster took fewer academic classes senior year in order to allocate more time for her four art area courses: a career preparation class, two technique classes, and a repertory class. Since dance seniors can choreograph their own dance routines in career preparation, be a part of the most class pieces, and choose to audition for college dance programs, Foster said she has “pushed off school work a lot” to allow for those activities.
“I wanted to focus on a lot of college stuff and applications, and (spend) time trying to focus on my technique and how it can get better for the auditions,” Foster said. “In terms of academics, I’m kind of slacking on that a little bit, just to really hone in on dance, because I know it’s what I want to do. I was really trying to appreciate every moment that I have here (at school), but especially now (that I am a senior).”
Communications senior Kendall Smith
At the beginning of her senior year, Smith was on three communications tracks: speech and debate, creative writing, and The Marquee Yearbook. Some seniors choose to have a free period to give them more time to work and focus on other responsibilities, but because she took three communications classes, her schedule was full. She believed that she could “handle it,” but ultimately, Smith became “overwhelmed” and decided to drop creative writing. In doing so, she was able to dedicate more time to other responsibilities, like being a Managing Editor of The Marquee.
“I definitely revitalized my passion for Marquee and alleviated my stress, which allowed me to be more involved with debate (as well),” Smith said. “It made me feel less pressure (of) having so many classes on my shoulders, and it allowed me to enjoy the ones I’m taking.”
Although Smith experienced stress toward her art area at the beginning of the year, she said her passion returned once she “slowed down,” and recommended to incoming seniors that they avoid putting too much on their plate.
“I think that you have to enjoy where you’re at, because you may want to leave and be so excited to go, but, it’s your last time doing this,” Smith said. “You’re never going to take classes like this again, because you’re going to be in college. You’re never going to get to enjoy your art area the same way.”
