As the 2023-24 school year comes to an end, our Class of ‘24 seniors are preparing to walk the stage and claim their diplomas: an indication of the years they spent in school and how hard they have worked! Of course, that leaves our underclassmen preparing to advance yet another year, and most importantly, our juniors getting ready to become the Class of ‘25 rising seniors! There is no argument that an individual’s senior year is the easiest in terms of their workload, but it may also be the most stressful especially when it comes to leaving your second home for the past four years and becoming a true, real adult.
In addition to taking on adulthood, the vast majority of seniors are also beginning to apply for college and pursue their career aspirations. College comes with its own stressors, especially when it comes to applying. There are many things that need to be taken into account from both the school and the student. Transcripts must be acquired, credits must be fully completed, and, depending on where you’re going, standardized exam scores must be achieved to a certain score.
That is not all, either. The list of things that must be accomplished before you graduate high school and move onto college is endless, and you have to stay on top of that list, otherwise you may fall behind.
“I slacked off when it came to college stuff in my junior year and a good part of my senior year,” says an anonymous Seminole High School senior. “It is because of that, that I had a lot of things on my plate coming into the second semester. I had to take the SAT and ACT multiple times to get the scores I needed for college, and I was meeting with my counselor a whole lot to ensure that I was on track for graduation. It was really nerve wracking, and I don’t recommend the whole ‘leaving things for later,’ because it definitely can get to be too much.”
Of course, as long as you are staying on top of things, there is no need to be stressing out so much when it comes to preparing to graduate! Some juniors make the smart decision to finish a lot of their important things before they even enter senior year — whatever is possible to, at least.
“I started getting ready for college apps about midway through junior year, mostly because I have heard all the horror stories of putting things off,” comments SHS senior Tamirah Rosetta. “I worked at SeaWorld, and that is how I get my volunteer hours in. I took my practice SATs, and signed up for the real exam when I got the time to. Of course, I started researching colleges way earlier, but the entirety of my junior year was spent making sure that I was set for graduation, and that I could lessen my stress for senior year as much as possible. I didn’t want to worry about anything other than actually getting into college. Honestly, now being only months from graduation, I think I did a pretty good job at that.”
There are many things to consider when it comes to applying to colleges. Applications may not be open for a long time, but that doesn’t mean the long list should be left to complete only weeks before they do open. As rising seniors, responsibility is something that you must have, and you must display it by being prepared. The stress is inevitable, but as long as you stay focused, there is no need to be worried. We wish all the soon-to-be seniors good luck in their pursuits of the future, and we are all rooting for your accomplishments!