As the halfway mark of the school year has passed, many can look at this time as an opportunity for high school seniors to relax and cruise to the end of the year. However, many seniors have yet to be focused on throwing their caps in the air. Trying to squeeze in a last-minute application or a perfect scholarship essay can cause a lot of stress for seniors. In a time that most outsiders believe is a time for seniors to kick their feet up and relax, it can be difficult to stay afloat.
While some might see this time as the downhill stretch for senior year, reality paints a much different picture for many. Late-night cram sessions filled with college essays, the anxiety of admission decisions, and the race against time to try and secure financial aid are just a couple of the stresses that seniors are currently facing. In the midst of what should be a celebratory time, seniors should have an easy answer to the question that everyone is asking them, “What are you doing for college?” followed by the extremely thoughtful and caring, “What do you plan to study?” The questions that every senior hears at least a hundred times should be a simple answer this time of year, but while navigating all these different mazes of college prep and admissions, it becomes a stressful question for students trying to figure out the next four years of their lives. This is a drastic contrast to what’s portrayed by many in movies and pop culture, revealing that this time of year is not glamorous.
Senior Seth Keasel, who’s still waiting on decisions from colleges, says that he’s both excited and nervous about figuring out where he wants to spend the next four years. When asked about the constant questions surrounding college, Keasel sarcastically admits, “I love them, and it makes the whole process even more enjoyable.” Seniors Cameron Stoller and Will Reis have almost identical situations, with Stoller expressing that “it’s definitely a stressful process, and it seems like a much more strenuous process than what our parents had to go through.”
Senior Eli Fennie, who got accepted into Ohio State University and has decided that’s where he’s going, is still not content. “I’m still applying for scholarships, maintaining a high GPA, and figuring out my major, “Said Fennie.
Fennie talks about how the college process was a lot harder than he expected. “I expected to be done with everything by now,” he adds, saying that “the process of applying and being admitted felt like it took years.”
In reality, the stories and experiences shared by these seniors shed light on the struggles that seniors are going through, which challenges the narrative that senior year is all about relaxing. They paint a picture of what it’s actually like to manage the last year of high school. Their stories contradict the assumed narrative around high school seniors. The individual experiences of these four students paint a broad picture that affects a lot of high school seniors, and their experiences show that the road to graduation for seniors is far from a simple cruise.
