Derched. You’ve probably seen this word on Twitter or heard it in the halls of SMW, but what does it really mean?

For those of you who don’t know, Marla Dercher is the esteemed teacher of AP Literature and Composition (aka 12th grade Honors English). Many of her students will tell you that her class is one of the hardest classes they’ve ever taken, but they also say that it is worth it because of how well it prepares you for college.

With the first big research paper for that class due this past week, many seniors are feeling “Derched”. Being “Derched” is like when you get done taking the ACT and your brain feels like jello or when you wake up from a nap and have no idea where you are, what time it is, or even what day it is. It’s basically this overwhelming sense of numbness mixed with lack of motivation.

I think I can speak for many of the seniors when I say that being “Derched” comes in waves. Sometimes I’m proactive when it comes to assignments, but there are also definitely times where I struggle to finish a paper or do a mini-read.

Sure, the feeling of being “Derched” can be applied to many classes, but that added to infamous senioritis has many seniors questioning how many days until summer.