Senior-What??!?

Patient: S.A.H

Chief Complaints: listlessness, loss of motivation, boredom/sleeping/surfing the web during class, daydreaming instead of doing homework assignments, procrastination


Assessment: Patient is a 25 year old female in her last semester of nursing school at California State University, Sacramento. Patient appears to be healthy but slightly disturbed. Patient stated that onset of symptoms started in late February of this year. Chief complaints seem to be present during any scheduled class time and resurface again once homework is discussed or attempted. Patient describes an intense desire to “be free of school” and the assignments are “useless.” Patient is in great anticipation of the month of May.

Diagnosis: Senioritis - from the word senior plus the suffix -itis (which technically means inflammation but in colloquial speech is assumed to mean an illness), is a colloquial term used in the United States and Canada to describe the decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their school careers. By definition, Senioritis is not due to the direct physiological effects of a general medical condition such as hypothyroidism or insomnia but is typically said to include: slowness, procrastination, apathy regarding school work, a feeling of entitlement or privilege and a tendency toward truancy, increased drug use, malingering or feigning illness in order to avoid presence in a school setting, cognitive impairments, and changes in sleep patterns. (Wikipedia Encyclopedia)

Known Cure: Graduation