Have you noticed that more and more students are not caring about their grades? It seems like there is an increasing rate of students, particularly seniors, that couldn’t care less about their grades or the impact it will have on their futures.

I have heard many students say that they have “senioritis”—a well known term for a high school senior disinclined and unwilling to do any work at school or home. This term can also refer to a senior who repeatedly takes personal skip days, and just in general has a horribly negative attitude towards school. I have seen students sleep classes away and not have a care in the world if their grade, whether it be for a test or a marking period, was a flat out F. Some students consistently rack up detentions that may even reach the 30’s and miss essential assignments and heavily weighted projects and don’t seem to really understand that their chances of graduating slowly but surely diminish.

There is no reason to slack off completely and get into trouble in your senior year at North Penn High School. If students slack off and are entirely careless during their senior year to the point where they cannot graduate, they have pretty much wasted their entire purpose of being at high school just because of stupid decisions due to a lack of insight, maturity, and responsibility. What truly blows my mind is not only the lack of concern of the consequences of their poor efforts and decisions, but also the apparent lack of discipline enforced by the parents of these students. Not only will college—if they go, that is—be a nearly impossible adaptation, but so will the real world. Very few employers will be willing to put up with some of the unfortunate efforts and negligent attitudes shown by some students.

These students need to understand the tremendous opportunities of involvement, success and achievement here at North Penn High School. Study hard, put in effort in classes, be responsible and make good decisions, and it will definitely pay off in the end, whether it be on your report card, on your reputation, or on your future paycheck.