It’s a universal experience: before you know it, senior year rolls around. This is the year where everything comes together. This year is the year where a student needs to do everything. So many aspects come into play; applying to college, taking millions of photos to capture every single moment, and most importantly, finishing the school-age career strong.
However, there is a catch to all of this excitement; the cost. Everything from one’s back to school shopping to receiving the cap and gown costs money. Having all of these expenses shoots the cost of that memorable year through the roof.
In addition to all of this, a senior may want to buy multiple outfits to represent each special milestone event. With each outfit comes having to pay for it. Unfortunately, some parents might not even want to help pay for events, let alone pay half of the price. This leaves the student having to pay for all of the occasions. Juggling all these costs makes this year seem overwhelming, and maybe even daunting.
This especially seems intimidating to sophomore Sarah Shamsi: “I feel like the whole idea of having so many events to pay can be extremely economically discriminating. If someone can not afford to go to multiple events, it is often looked down upon. All their friends might make them feel bad for not attending. In reality, it is because of their family’s income, which makes things extremely unfair.”
What Are These Occasions, Exactly?
Everything senior year seems important. Spirit week, football games, homecoming, and later on, even grad bash.
Spirit Week: Showing school spirit helps to lift students’ energy. Participating in school spirit allows for students to express themselves in other fun ways, rather than just their regular clothing. While buying supplies for spirit week is not a hefty price, it can add up. It on average can cost around $15.
Football Games: When it comes to high school, football is a huge deal. Going to football games makes one proud of their school, granted their school wins. Taking pride in school builds a stronger connection with others that attend that school. It does not have to be just football, it can be other sports too. The average price for a football game ticket is $9, according to GoFan.
Homecoming: Once the school wins a football game, there is a dance to celebrate. While homecoming is not just limited to seniors, seniors should probably attend, because it is their last one. This is where costs start going up. Homecoming dresses can go from $50-$170, depending on the person. Tuxedos also cost around that much, according to Windsor. An anonymous senior had this to say about it: “I am not attending homecoming, it’s too expensive. Everyone around me is going and I definitely feel FOMO but I know for a fact that my family could not afford for me to go to multiple events. I would go to one event, and I am planning for it to probably be a Grad Bash.”
Grad Bash: Grad Bash is an event that is reserved for just seniors. That event usually happens around the last two months of school. Last year the tickets were around 120 dollars. This does not include money for food, refreshments, and even souvenirs.
High school events in general are pricey, but senior year is particularly so. Senior year might seem very expensive. All the events a student will attend totals into becoming a significant milestone completed in their lives but these events do not just have to be school events. Creating your own, cheaper events within your friend group is also a great way to celebrate your high school career! Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have the best time in your last year of high school!