Every year since elementary school, we?ve heard teachers telling us that our entire academic careers serve the purpose of building up to college. Getting into college, going to college, succeeding in college – everything we seniors have done for the past twelve years builds up to that fat acceptance letter (or, for some schools? more modern approach, email) that we hope to receive.
At the same time, teachers lecture us for slacking off in the second semester of our senior year. Yes, the dreaded ?senioritis? epidemic began, spreading through the entire class like an enjoyable black plague. Teachers harangue us for not doing homework, coming in late and not paying attention in class. But, I fail to see the problem with it.
C?mon, if we?ve been working our butts off to getting into college for so long, what?s the problem with taking a break once we?ve successfully applied? As we all know, the second semester doesn?t matter to colleges as long as we don?t flunk out, and face it, we need the mental vacation.
I understand that teachers only stay strict because they don?t want us to do so badly that our future colleges decide to preemptively expel us, but is that necessary? If we flunk badly enough that colleges kick us out, it?s our own fault and we should be responsible enough by this point to not screw up royally. So either we do work and pass, or don?t bother complaining if we mess up.
But that?s taking senioritis to an extreme that only occurs in very rare circumstances. Most of us aren?t that irresponsible, and we can balance our laziness with our work. We know that we have exams and major projects, and we?ll get them done. For International Baccalaureate (IB) students, we know that we don?t have a chance to let ourselves slip, as we?re all preparing for the IB exams. Students who aren?t in the IB program also know that passing final exams is necessary to graduating from each grade and high school as a whole. We know how much they count in the long run. If we?re personally fine with failing the exams, then that?s our choice and it is neither the responsibility nor the business of our teachers to harass us about it.
After all, we?re about to go off to college. We need to learn personal responsibility. Teachers can?t coddle and push us forever, so why not start letting us take personal accountability now? Teachers, don?t bother trying to get through to us. Either we know it already, or we just don?t care to learn.