Seniors are counting down the days. Prom and graduation are getting closer, the weather is getting nicer, and it basically feels like school is over. There’s a name for this and it’s called senioritis.

At Mount Carmel seniors are dealing with a lot at once whether it’s sports or still deciding  what college to go to. The problem is seniors often decide to lose focus at the worst time, which is right at the end. Many may think the year is over, but it is not. This is actually the most important stretch.

Senioritis is not just being lazy. It can actually cost seniors their future.

Colleges are still watching. Even after a student gets accepted, nothing is final until graduation. Mrs. Kristina Luster,  counselor at MC, makes that very clear when meeting with students.

“If [colleges] see a downward trend, it can really jeopardize your future,” she says .

Some students think once they are accepted to a school, that they are safe. That is the furthest thing from the truth. Mrs. Luster says she has seen students lose everything at the last second.

“I’ve seen a handful of kids have their scholarships pulled or their admissions rescinded,” she says. That means colleges can take back offers. Scholarships can disappear. All because of a few bad grades at the end.

Think about that. Four years of work can fall apart in just a few weeks.

It is even more serious for athletes. A lot of players believe their sport will carry them no matter what, but that is not how it works. Coaches do not make the final call. Admissions offices at those colleges do. If grades drop too low, even a committed athlete can lose their spot.

This is why finishing strong is a must and is not something to play around with.

Another main issue is the small stuff. Seniors don’t usually fail a class because of one big mistake but rather from the little things like missing assignments and missing out on easy points.

“The easiest way to screw it up is just not getting work turned in,” says Mr. Dan Burke, who teaches all senior theology students.

It’s nothing complicated but just not doing the work.

Yet seniors start to think small assignments do not matter. They push things off. One missing assignment turns into three. Then five. Before they know it, they are behind and stressed out right before graduation.

Mr. Burke has seen it countless times while teaching all seniors. They push things off  so much that they start to scramble at the end of the year with way more stress than needed.

Many students know how real this is. Senior Rocco Lopez talked about how tough it can be. “I’ve been feeling senioritis but just pushing through it,” he says, “making sure that I finish the year up strong.” Even when it is hard, he knows what is on the line.

To succeed in life a student must endure things that are hard and things that they may not want to do. Finishing out strong gives such a better chance at future success.

Rocco also gave simple advice. “Don’t lose focus, you’re working towards something bigger.” Seniors need to remember that there is a goal at the end.

Senior Connor Elenteny, who is committed to Notre Dame for baseball, feels that pressure too. “You gotta finish strong,” he says. “Academics is definitely the top priority.”

Even at a high level, school still comes first. Connor is in a position where he must finish strong due to the fact Notre Dame can pull his offer if he does not get the grades that they want him.

He admits that it is not easy, but he keeps showing up, doing his work, and staying locked in. That is what separates students who succeed from those who slip at the end. It’s easy to give in to that feeling, but students need to persevere and become mentally tough to finish the year out right.

These last few weeks are not just about being done with school. It’s a time to stay focused to get to that next level and move on to college where we will be

Finishing strong builds discipline. It builds focus. It builds confidence. It shows that a student can follow through, even when they are tired and ready to be done.

Senioritis might feel like a joke, but the consequences are real. Lost scholarships. Lost admissions. Stress that could have been avoided.

There are only a few weeks left in the MC careers of the Class of 2026. A short push to the finish line. Three weeks left then we are on our own.

The question is simple. Is it really worth risking everything for a few weeks of checking out?