Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Basic Information about Senioritis

Senioritis is more then just not doing homework and assignments in school. It is a huge problem across America that many teens cope with in their everyday lives. Senioritis can and cannot be prevented or caused, it is really up to the student to achieve his or her goals in life or not. This problem happens to most teens, but is a common feeling at the same time. Senioritis is senior students looking to have fun during their last year of high school, but forgetting their priorities and academic work at the same time. As I was stating in my other blogs, senioritis can be prevented by getting yourself into academic programs, sports, after school activities, and community service work. There is always more advantages out there in the world to keep yourself occupied and on track in school, we just have to reach for it. As far as becoming a senioritis and the side affects to it, it is really the students opinion to change his or her ways when they notice they are becoming a senioritis. Some and most students dont realize that they are slacking off in school and dont know that they are jepordizing their chances of graduating with a high school diploma or even getting into the colleges they wish to attend. Sometimes it isnt even the students fault for putting school their last priority. Sometimes students deal with emotional issues in their life and don't have help or any support on their problems. Then they suddenly drop out of school or skip classes everyday and not do their work. It is always the best choice to talk to someone or a counselor or even attend any meetings associating with your personal problems if you dont like to talk about it. You can also read books and learn many ways to cope with certain issues as well. There are many problems for high school students, especially seniors to deal with everyday, but it isnt to late to make a change. This topic is very important because of the rate high school seniors as well as undergraduates are very high at a 70 percent of these students not graduating and dropping out. The future generation is up to high school students and college students to live a bright life, but this can't happen if this issue isnt brought up to attention. School administration as well as teachers always talk about the causes and issues to senioritis and students dropping out, but what action is really being done? Maybe if more support both mentally and emotionally was out there in schools, then the rate of students procrastinating and dropping out wouldnt be so high. Parents as well should take more action and be more involved with their childs academic progress, but most parents tend to not worry about that as much as they should. High school seniors and students have the chance and choice to become whatever they wish, but tend to not put school as their number one priority in there life. If we want a generation where our future life looks bright and successful, then everyone must make a change. Dont let senioritis take over, let the students have the positive control.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Interview with High School Teacher

I had an interview with my cousin who is being anonymous as CC. CC is a high school teacher at Lowell High and recently taught seniors two years ago. She does have a lot of experience dealing with many different personalities with students, but enjoys teaching and helping students with their school work and graduating on time. As I was interviewing CC about her past experience with high school seniors, she told me that many high school seniors are very smart and excellent students, but just dont acknowledge it or dont have anyone acknowledging them. Many high school seniors also tend to give up a lot because they "think" they have everything planned out for their future, when really they are not proving on how much they want that kind of success. A lot of seniors now a days, have a lot of pride when it comes to what they want to do and accomplish in life, but are not going the right way about it. Friends and peer pressure have the biggest impact on teens, especially when its your senior year. Senior year to students is basically the last year to spend time with friends and have the time of your life and just party and have fun. Many students interpret the meaning of having the best time of your high school year wrong, and think that just having fun means forgetting about your priorities and school work. Suddenly their grades drop and the students are wondering why there not graduating on time and why colleges are not accepting them. And there is only one answer to the problem, its because they tend to be senioritis.

Interviews with students

I have interviewed one of my close friends who is being named JG for anonymous purposes. JG is a past student who use to attend Thorton High School last year and recently didnt graduate with his high school district diploma. While I was interviewing JG he explained to me that because he didnt graduate from an ordinary high school and didnt recieve his high school diploma he now has to settle with a GED. He also has to work three times harder just to be accepted into the colleges he wishes to attend. He actually applied to Sacramento State, Longbeach State, and San Francisco State as well and still got denied due to just having a GED and not attending community college first. He never planned on going to community college first because during his freshmen and sophomore year in high school he passed all his classes with A's and B's, and now he has to settle for going to community college first for 4 years and then transfer into his future colleges he wants to attend. He told me that during his junior and senior year, he suffered a lot by not procrastinating all the time and not going to school. He has also gotten into a lot of trouble hanging around with the wrong friends which he doesnt call friends anymore. JG was pressured into smoking and drinking on a daily basis and always felt lazy and tired, which caused him to forget about going to school. JG also stated that his friends had a big impact on his life, which turned his whole perspective of school around. He was pressured to smoke and drink and it hurt his parents a lot to the point where his parents basically gave up on him and his life. His words for advice to young teens and seniors is to always remember that you have one chance and one life and a free education along with it, so take pride and all the chances you can get and never give up on your education. After interviewing JG, it also has made me realize how lucky I am to have a free education and that I should always be determined about my goals in life. For all seniors, it is very important to graduate from high school and not become a senioritis because if you have a bright education, it then leads to a bright future.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Serious Senioritis

High school students may not be the only one to blame for senioritis. The lack of work done for high school seniors is at a 65 percent, that is a high percentage just for high school seniors not to be doing their work and just slacking off (ACF). The issue about seniors in their mentality is that when graduation comes near, most seniors attention span and grades tend to slowly drop and at the end they find out there not graduating. A lot of teachers as well as parents are concerned about their students and children about not graduating on time and just partying instead of not concentrating on their studies more (ACF). There is a widespread across the Department of Education called "senior slump," which is basically how many seniors are not graduating on time and dropping out of school. The Department of Education launched a comission last year of finding ways to prevent senior slump (ACF). The Commission on the High School Senior Year says that the high school senior year is often "a lost opportunity during which time many students let one-quarter of their high school learning time slip through their fingers" (AFC). Many seniors dont realize the certain opportunities they have in front of them until there gone. I feel that many student seniors dont have the obligation to know what their priorities are and tend to forget what really matters in their high school education. Graduating should be their number one priority in high school and that means attending all classes and doing all their assignments in on time. Many seniors have the ability to work, but tend to put school off due to outside life issues, such as parenting problems, friend issues, work issues, and more (AFC). The reason for this outcomes to be happening so much to seniors is because its what anyone would call an "emotional rollercoaster" (AFC). Many high school students, especailly seniors dont know how to deal with certain issues and let it build up for so long then finally take it out on school. Their mentality is just to forget about going to school and doing work because at the end, they feel that they will be graduating with a cap and gown, along with a diploma in their hand (AFC). When in reality, its the total opposite. I feel that high school students not just seniors should all have support from themselves in case their not getting any from anyone else. Believing in yourself and trying your best will always help, because at the end, you have no one else to blame but yourself. For more information about senioritis you can contact this website: http://www.acfnewsource.org/education/senioritis.html

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Consequences for Senioritis

Senioritis might be fun to some teens who think they got everything planned out for them, but as we all know, in reality, there are always consequences for the wrong actions we choose to do. Some consequences seniors have to face are most importantly not graduating with a high school diploma which equals to a high school dropout. Some other consequences are not being able to get good paid jobs in the future, or being accepted into great succeeding colleges (collegeboard). Not only does senioritis jeopardize your chances for success later on in college, it can also affect your grades and college admission officers pay close attention to your performance senior year (collegeboard). Another important thing to remember is that once you apply for a college, the college has the right to deny you at anytime for your performance in school (collegeboard). Your senior year is the most important year out of your high school years because that’s when colleges take a deeper look on your grades and SAT scores as well (collegeboard). A lot of seniors have the mentality that once they are accepted into the college of their choice they will automatically get in, but in reality, once grades drop, the college will soon drop you too (collegeboard). Basically when any senior chooses not to do the work their senior year and procrastinates all the time, their chances are very high at looking at a not promising future. There are always ways to prevent becoming a senioritis and overlook this concept. The best way is to always stay focused and determined about what your goals are (collegeboard). Playing sports in school or being involved with after school opportunities is always the best thing to do, also a great internships or career-focused job opportunity can also motivate you to stay on top of what your trying to pursue after high school (collegeboard). Look at other seniors who tend to slack off and do the total opposite. Being focused on school and after school activities is always the best strategy to overlook becoming a senioritis. For more information feel free to contact this website: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/the-application/8626.html

Thursday, October 23, 2008


For anyone who doesnt know what Senioritis is, it is about high school educated seniors who tend to show little attention to their high school activities as well as their grades. It then comes to the point where most seniors dont graduate on time and basically dont care about their last senior year. This topic is important to understand and discuss because it is the life and future of young, smart, teens who tend to show little care about their last year of high school, and they limit themselves to certain high careers in their future. They soon regret it, and wish they never were a senioritis. For more information please free to check out this website for more info: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/applications/senioritis