As soon as the sunshine starts leaking through the classroom windows, students begin to get excited about summer vacation and the three-month long break from school. Unless you are a senior, that is. Many seniors suffer (much earlier than spring) from a condition called Senioritis, defined by Merriam-Webster as, “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades.” Dimond counselor Pete Mandel defines Senioritis as, “an academic decline, wanting a reduced schedule, late arrival, early dismissal”. Either way, Senioritis is a very serious condition that, unfortunately, many people treat casually. Senioritis at best can result in an awful lot of work to catch up on and at worst can result in colleges withdrawing acceptances. Mandel says that most college acceptances are conditional. Colleges expect a student to continue the same level of academics and continue in the same classes at the end of the year as in the beginning. “You definitely see a drop in the academic performance, to take less challenging courses, a desire to take less courses,” said Mandel. “I encourage them to continue math especially for the placement exams, you want to be through Algebra II. He suggests seniors take all the classes they can while still in high school since they are getting free education. “People believe that your junior year is the most important and your senior year is to coast,” said Mandel. “The counseling philosophy is no! Take rigorous courses and continue preparing yourself.” Kazuki Seki, a Dimond senior, spills about his study habits. “Sometimes I feel lazy, but I never don’t do the homework.” Although seniors may go down the notorious road of procrastination and slacking off, many seniors take measures to make sure they stay on the right track. “I only do homework really well, tests, I don’t really study,” said Seki. Mandel says that students who have had some sort of independence generally have a better time in the coming prospect of college. “I’m not really ready for college,” Seki confesses, “I will miss high school and I am nervous about college.” “People who have been independent, like an exchange or an internship prepares them, gives them confidence, gives them a picture of what they will look like after high school,” said Mandel. “I am half excited to graduate, but I will really miss my friends,” Seki said. Some students take classes at University of Alaska Anchorage, or Alaska Pacific University. The APU early honors program allows eligible seniors to take college level classes with other high school students. Opportunities like the APU Early Honors and classes at UAA are all good motivators and experiences that make the transition to college just that much easier.