Senior year is what you make of it. You have lots of things to do in so little time. For example, ordering your cap and gown in the fall and getting all of your credits done before graduation. There are some positive sides to senior year. You get the decision to graduate early, or you can leave school early to go to work, or come to school later in the day. The basic goal before graduation is to get all your credits done and get all your hours done for the Honors Program. Plus the A+ Program students have to complete their hours before graduation.
There are so many things to do in so little time during your Senior Year. The bright side of being a senior is that you are one step closer to being college students and getting ready for the real world. There are different ways to be recognized your senior year: playing sports/managing a sport, applying for scholarships, and being a good student. You also have senior pictures which are the best part in my opinion… those really express that you are graduating and that is a big milestone. If you are the first born in your family, it is really hard on your parents. For example, I am the oldest in my family, and my mom has cried all year because this is a first time experience, and she is letting her baby grow up, and it makes me cry sometimes too.
Like I said before, senior year is the best time of your life, so make the most of it as much as possible so you do not miss all of the good times.
I interviewed Rylee Bosley, a Senior at WHS about what it is like to be a Senior and to provide tips and advice for upcoming Seniors. She said, “It starts to hit you and you realize it is your last year. You have to make the most of it. Do not waste your time on toxic friendships, and be social, and make the most of it, because you only get four years.”
I also interviewed Ms. Norman, a guidance counselor at WHS about advice for future seniors and why seniors stress out about graduation, and she answered, “The best advice that I can give to future Seniors is to have an open mind and start experimenting with career and college choices now! Go on college visits and do job shadowing-- In fields you are interested in, but also places you have never considered. It can be really tough deciding what to do after high school, but the more that you expose yourself to new opportunities, the easier this will be - Even if it is just saying, ‘Okay yeah, definitely don’t want to do that again!’ The more you cross off the list, the closer you get to choosing the right path for you.”
She also answered why Seniors get stressed out about graduation. She answered, “ I think most seniors get stressed out about graduation because of the unknown. Graduation is exciting and a huge accomplishment for students but it is also the end of their current stage of life and the beginning of the next stage. Often times, I see that as Seniors get closer and closer to graduation, they struggle with planning for next steps because they are still trying to embrace every of the here and now and what has been known to them up until this point of their lives. This is a time where students are simultaneously trying to plan for their futures, but also trying to hold on to their last bit of childhood while it still lasts. Even though they say they are ready to be done, many seniors worry about what the future will hold and want to take in and embrace as many memories as they can before they can enter a new stage of change and unknown.”