With the first semester coming to a close and the end of high school approaching, many seniors are starting to feel the pressure. Between college applications, scholarships, grades, sports and trying to enjoy their last year, senior stress is hitting harder than ever. Some say senior year is the hardest year yet, while others disagree.
“Senior year is definitely my favorite year,” senior Adyson Glass said. “Mostly because there are a lot more events as seniors and special things because of how far we’ve come.”
Through all the hardships and stressful situations, senior year definitely has its perks.
“My favorite parts of senior year are the senior sunrise, the end-of-the-year activities and most of all graduation, because it marks our accomplishments and makes everything worth it,” Glass said.
While all the senior-exclusive events make their final year at Florida High enjoyable, senior stress still exists. Seniors like Elizabeth Shalley, chair of Dance Marathon, not only have to handle stress from schoolwork, but also worry about managing a club outside of the classroom. Although the responsibility can be rewarding, running a club like Dance Marathon is still very stressful. Other extracurricular activities, such as participating in a sport, can also contribute to the stress.
“Baseball can be a little stressful sometimes,” senior Nick Steibly said.
College applications can also be a cause of senior stress. Ensuring that your applications are submitted on time and include all the necessary information can be a significant amount of work, especially when applying to multiple colleges.
“I applied to six colleges, and I’ve gotten accepted into one, but the rest are half-and-half. I’m just waiting to see now,” Steibly said.
Those who say senior stress is not all bad say that there are many tools to help you through the year and cross the finish line.
“Dance Marathon and my youth group helped me, because it made things fun and took a lot of stress off my shoulders, and managing my time the right way helped me a lot,” Glass said.
Senior year might seem daunting going into it, but with good time management and smart decisions, extracurricular activities can help you reach the end of high school. Seniors can still find ways to have fun even amidst the hard work and distractions. Senior year is the last year to make yourself look good to colleges and places of work. On the other hand, senior year is also a time to celebrate the physical and mental growth you have had, the accomplishments you have made in the past four years of high school and how far you have come. The key to senior year is about striking a balance: working hard but also savoring the final memories of high school before stepping into the next chapter.
