You always hear horror stories about how others have all sorts of diseases: mesothelioma, osteoporosis, dementia, the list could go on and on. However, you never hear about the real disease that is affecting millions of seniors across every school district–the one that every teacher hates putting up with: senioritis. I know it might not seem like it, but trust me, it’s a real disease and it comes in three stages: pre-senior year senioritis, pre-senioritis and senioritis. The only good part about this disease is that it can be self-diagnosed; there is no need to pay a visit to the doctor.

Be aware, the early stages are not even evident, until it hits you all at once. The pre-senior year senioritis phase usually starts after your junior year, after you take the SAT and AP tests (if applicable). But no one realizes it. All of a sudden, you start feeling less and less motivated and you blame it on being tired. Common excuses for this stage are “I had to work” or “I had a game,” but there are many others out there. Teachers can already tell who is going to have chronic senioritis even before your senior year.

However, while the pre-senior year stage might not have had an effect on you, the second one probably will. This stage–pre-senioritis–hits you around the beginning of senior year, after having applied to colleges. It’s the time when you realize that high school is nearly done. You have already applied to universities and now are just showing up to school for attendance. However, you are probably only showing up so you won’t have to take exams. Pre-senioritis is the very first visible phase of the disease. Be aware, this disease is very contagious, especially in the early stages. Also, once a senior gets it, there is no way of turning back.

The third, and final stage comes around the end of the second trimester. A lot of students who usually try hard in school come to the realization that after second trimester exams, grades really do not matter. They have already made it into cum laude and will for sure graduate no matter what. You’re just wasting gas coming here, therefore–what’s the point?

Whether you start seeing symptoms of senioritis your freshman year or even as late as the last month of school, it’s still a real disease that we should be aware of. While there isn’t a cure for it, just make sure that you stay on top of things and don’t fall behind. Awareness is the only way to combat this disease.