As we settle into the new year, I have noticed how I and those around me are caught in the tornado of academic challenges and extracurricular commitments. In the midst of all this chaos, the winter months introduce a new layer of complexity, bringing forth both Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and the infamous condition known as senioritis.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that typically kicks in during the winter months, especially affecting teenagers around the age of 18.
Its acronym perfectly matches its meaning; the reduced sunlight during winter messes with our circadian rhythms, resulting in feelings of fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal. Think of it as a dark cloud hovering over us, making us sluggish and sad as we try to keep up with our academic and personal lives.
As a junior, I’ve experienced the intensity of the workload and the pressure of preparing for college applications, especially during this winter. The new year kicks off with a promise of a fresh start, but it is also accompanied by a small amount of light and a large amount of stress.
Juggling academics, extracurriculars, and social life can be difficult to maintain, and the weight of it all can be overwhelming.
“Seasonal depression is really a thing, like I can feel it when the weather starts getting darker and you start getting less serotonin,” Joshua Wangia ‘25 said. “But I also think hormones play a role, especially with people our age.”
“As the temperature drops, so do my grades,” Helen Liang ‘25 said.
Along with the gloomy effects of SAD, some of our seniors are dealing with senioritis. It’s a phase many seniors enter during their final year of high school when motivation is low and the desire to start a new life begins.
As a junior observing this, I noticed the amount of pressure looming over seniors as the wait continues for responses from colleges. Along with this stressful process, students seem to be looking past senior year and into their future at college, often lacking energy and enthusiasm in school.
“Senior year is kind of hard in the first semester, because, of course, you’re doing your school work and your college applications,” Sebastian Cortes ‘24 said. “But once you’re done with December and January, it’s a bit harder, because you have to wait for colleges to get back to you, but you don’t want to do work because you feel you’re done. It’s hard, but you know GA teachers have expectations so you want to keep working.”
“I feel like seniors tend to lose motivation as soon as second semester starts because we don’t really have a ‘benefit’ for it since grades are sent to colleges first semester,” Melinda Shen ‘24 said. “So you pretty much don’t get anything out of trying. Also, we move up in levels, so you’re taking the hardest classes you’ve had all high school and you don’t even have a reason to do it.”
Others, however, do not feel as if senioritis is affecting their final year of high school in a significant way.
“It’s not necessarily easy, because there is that part of me where I’m like, okay, I’ve been doing this for a while, I kinda want to move onto something new,” Carmela Jenckes ‘24 said. “But also, I’m still learning and still trying to enjoy high school. I don’t feel like senoritis has hit me that hard.”
As we journey through the winter months while dealing with the effects of SAD and senioritis, it’s important to find moments of peace and resilience and to prioritize our mental health amidst all of the chaos.