Your senior year you expect it to be like the movies: carefree, everyone together for one last time and amazing memories that follow you through life. However, expectations have changed. Seniors are expected to be mature right away with preparing for college, graduation and trying to determine how to thrive in the real world with no shelter. Senior year is amazing, don’t get me wrong–being able to grow and watch everyone you’ve grown up with move onto bigger and better things is such a great feeling. But there will always be stress.  

My year is halfway done, college applications are turned in, prom planning has begun, cap and gowns have been ordered, and its all coming to an end very fast. The freedom is amazing, really pushing us to plan out our lives and depend on ourselves. However, as we seniors and everyone else in high school right now have gone through the COVID pandemic, it has altered us in plenty of ways and being pushed out in the world so fast is causing tons of stress.

This year especially, as part time senior, it has been great in lots of ways but also stressful as well. Like I said, freedom is wonderful and it’s something we all want, but no ones sees how much goes into it until you’re leaving school at 10:30, sometimes not even going home but straight to work or college classes. It’s a lot for a 17 and 18 year old to be thrown into that adult world so fast. The school load, after school activities, clubs, sports– it all adds up. No one really explains that to you when you are asking around as a junior or even a sophomore trying to figure out the rest of your high school schedule.  

Everyone’s experience is different, and I will say mine has been amazing. However, there’s a lot more to consider than just leaving at 10:30. You want to be sure you are ready for all that comes your way in your last year, because it will be stressful. Yet, in the end, you will probably be happy you managed your way through it and are now stepping into a brand new chapter with plenty of experience to be successful adult.

Juniors, what are your plans for next year?