As the 2015-2016 school year comes to a close, the Class of 2017 is preparing to transition into its senior year. While the senior year has a reputation of being fun and exciting, it is also very stressful because of the major decisions that students must make.  Students must take the ACT or SAT, write resumes, complete college applications, and keep grades high. Everything seems to be a priority, so how will next year’s seniors cope?

Senioritis is common and occurs when seniors simply become lazy and tired of going through the motions of high school.  In an interview, Senior McKenna Miller gave this sage advice: “Always try to find a balance between senioritis and responsibility.” Senior Ian Banks also commented to“Make sure you always know when your deadlines are. Procrastination is your worst enemy.”

Luckily, TW offers several opportunities to help seniors cope with the senioritis and the overall stress of the year.

Senior privileges give seniors the opportunity to leave campus during free periods, supportive counselors assist in the college-application process, and staff members for each core subject are available in Academic Assist.  All of these tools help make senior year as easy as possible.

The senior class of 2016 gave advice about coping with stress and deadlines, but the juniors have a much different expectation for senior year. Junior Jacob Lyons said “I’m both excited for senior prom” and “I’m really hyped to plan a senior prank.” Another Junior, Kazeem Saheeb, said that he is “most excited for senior privileges.”

It’s important for juniors to realize now that they cannot take their senior year lightly. Junior Abigail Roy commented that she is “excited to finish high school and become more independent, but it’s nerve-wrecking to have your whole life depend on these last few years.”

While getting ready for the next year, juniors must keep in mind that senior year is one of the most important years of their lives. Students may not realize the seriousness of the changes occurring, but their last year of high school definitely affects their futures.  It will be easy to get lost in the stress of it all, but staying on top of all the tasks is critical. Do not forget that there are several outlets for help, and do not be afraid to ask for help.