HARRY GUO AND BRANDON NGUYEN || EXECUTIVE EDITORS

The final months of high school feel like a long exhale after years of pressure. College applications are in, grades feel less urgent, and the countdown to graduation is in full swing. For many seniors, this shift brings a newfound sense of freedom—sometimes a little too much. Enter the “senior slide,” a time-honored tradition where motivation dips, assignments pile up, mostly untouched, and students trade textbooks for spontaneous adventures. It’s a running joke among students, a headache for teachers, and a source of concern for parents watching their once-diligent kids hit snooze a few too many times.

But is senior sliding inevitable? Is it a well-earned break or a slippery slope? The class of 2025 faces the same age-old dilemma: let go and enjoy their final months, or stay the course and power through. With GPAs on the line and summer just around the corner, seniors are making their choices—some coasting, some at full effort, and others somewhere in between.

Assistant Principal Joanna Ganci sees senior sliding as a spectrum rather than a singular experience. “Everybody slides in their own specific way,” she said. “Not everybody implodes and [has] everything fall apart. Some people release themselves from the pressure they’re imposing on themselves; some parents relieve their kids of that pressure.” 

As a mother of a current senior at Beverly High School, Ganci shared parts of her daughter’s experience and the emotional weight of these last few months, not just in academics but in friendships. With the realization that high school is ending, “she’s cried a few times,” Ganci shared. “She’s starting to think about relationships and how they’ll change when everyone’s in different places.” 

According to Ganci, a certain level of sliding is normal and even beneficial. “Transitioning away from high school is very healthy,” she said. “It’s the end of a relationship. Hopefully an amicable… not an unhealthy end.” 

Senior sliding is, of course, not exclusive to AHS. According to a 2012 study from the National Institute of Health, which surveyed high school students in California, around 55% of surveyed students experienced some degree of academic burnout, characterized by decreased motivation, increased tardiness, and a decline in academic performance. A 2024 survey conducted at Oak Park and River Forest High Schools in Illinois found that 45% of their seniors rated their experience of senioritis as very strong, with a modest increase in D’s and F’s by the end of their senior year compared to the beginning.  ​

For some seniors, senior sliding is less of an accident. Senior Dom Papa embraces the lifestyle wholeheartedly. “I love it. I do it all the time. I think I’m going to do it tomorrow. I think I’m going to do it next week. I did it yesterday,” he said. “So yeah, I love it.” 

Papa’s approach to school has shifted dramatically since the second semester began. “I had motivation. You know, I had plenty of it, but it just ran out,” he said. “I’m not going to get it back.” However, once autumn comes around, he believes his “motivation will return once [he] goes to college.” While he acknowledges the potential risks of sliding too hard, he offers some advice to future seniors: “Don’t start early because once you start early, there’s no going back. Do it towards the end of the year when all your grades are finalized, when you know you’re going to college.” 

Senior Teddy Adessa is also currently on the slide, but also knows the downsides. “I love senior sliding,” he said, “but it’s definitely not the right thing to do, because my grades are not looking the best.” Even with his grades suffering, Adessa still values the experience. “I’m having a great time in high school, so I feel like that’s pretty important. Start strong and slowly slide your way down to give yourself some space.” 

Unlike some sliders who claim to be in full control, Adessa admits he wishes he were doing all his assignments. “It’s definitely not healthy,” he said. “Definitely get your work done, guys. Go to college.”

Senior Jaiden Li, another self-proclaimed slider, sees her academic decline as a product of her environment at Andover High School. “If you dropped me in college right now, I would lock in instantly,” she said. “It’s just the school… I hate [AHS]. I hate everything here!” 

Her frustration with AHS played a major role in her decision to disengage from schoolwork. “I think other high schools have greater structure, and, let’s just say, more rigid enforcement of making sure students aren’t sliding,” she said. “Here, there’s not really a consequence for sliding aside from your own detriment.” Still, she acknowledges a potential downside: “If you’re sliding on top of summer break, that’s like a six-month period where you aren’t studying. You aren’t going to be ready for college.” However, she also added, “I don’t think [senior sliding] is unhealthy. Sure, it might be an inconvenience, but I think after you’ve locked in and worked hard for like four years, you’re just like ‘whatever,’ right?” 

For senior Valeria Cauia, senior sliding isn’t an all-or-nothing concept. She recognizes the social aspect of sliding but still holds onto her academic responsibilities. “I thought about it,” she said. “Or actually, when there’s an opportunity—an excused opportunity—I will take it.”

Unlike those who fully embrace the slide, Cauia picks and chooses when to take breaks, making sure her grades remain intact. “I only slide when I don’t have anything important to do,” she said.

She believes senior sliding is natural, though largely shaped by the people around her. “I feel like I wouldn’t even think about doing it if other people weren’t [sliding],” she said. “But I’m not done yet, so I’m still scared about my grades. I want to keep my GPA.”

Not everyone sees sliding as a necessity. Senior Richard Chen, who has so far resisted the urge, remains motivated. “I don’t want a lot of my hard work for the past 3.5 years to go away,” he said. “That’s my motivation.” 

Similarly, senior Anna Bacchi has maintained her work ethic. “I think I’ve started caring less,” she admitted, “but I haven’t been just not doing my work.” For Bacchi, watching peers slide is interesting, but not tempting. “I understand it, but I also could never,” she said. “I would freak out too much.” 

While some students view sliding as a well-earned break, and others worry about its consequences, French teacher Olga Kostousova sees both sides. Teaching two AP French classes this year, she has seen seniors sliding first-hand. While she reports that she has not seen this year’s seniors slide as badly as in other years, she notices the decreased work ethic of her students. “When you anticipate the freedom, you may lose track of other things,” she said. “But, I understand [it].” 

Junior Kevin Sun is already thinking ahead to next year. “I don’t [like going]  to school, but I know I have to,” he said. While he insists he won’t slide, he leaves some room for doubt. “Well, maybe a little.”

Is senior sliding an unavoidable part of high school? The answer depends on who you ask. But, come June, some students will be sprinting to the finish line, while others will be sliding across it.