Junioritis

By means of the Merriam-Webster dictionary I have found that the definition of the word Senioritis is, “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades”. Although many juniors seem to be diagnosing themselves with premature Senioritis I think it is something much different. I believe that because so many juniors have friends leaving for college next year, the “itis” we are all experiencing is caused by sadness and longing. We are sad they are leaving; we wish they would stay, and we long to start the journey they are about to begin.
I’m different. For me the signs aren’t bad grades and absences. I’m not blowing off the idea of school or working less hard at my work. I just wish that I could have a break. I want to start something new. I want to do what the seniors get to do. They have been out for a week already. Their break started much earlier than mine. They get to enjoy a last summer with their friends and then go off and be anything they want. They get to leave and spread their wings for the first time. I want to spread my wings.
Although I know I’m not quite ready for college, I can’t wait to start my own life. To get out of where I grew up and do something completely different from what I have been doing the past twelve years of my life. This is the feeling the juniors get. Its not that we want to go to college, Its just that we don’t want our life to remain the same any longer. We are ready for a change and yet we are forced to wait another long year and watch our best friends experience that change. So I think the juniors are special. We do not share the same “itis” as the seniors do. We are our own people and w e are very different from anyone who comes before or after us. So, we should not be called that of something completely different from us. We do not have senioritis. We have something much different and it deserves to be distinguished. We have Junioritis.

(370 words)