The illustrious senior year filled with all of its glory… the lighter class load, fewer responsibilities, and of course, graduation, but is it really all that it’s cracked up to be?

I would say no.

For each one of its benefits, there is a disadvantage. I mean, of course, we seniors are having the time of our lives with graduation being a mere 115 days 6 hours and 56 minutes away (but who’s counting), but senior year has added new stresses and experiences that weren’t there before. For instance, choosing a college and applying, scholarship applications, and the beginning of the end.

Choosing a college and a career path is by far the most stressful endeavor I personally have had to do. I mean let’s think about this, we have been in this school for the last four years learning skills like solving algebraic equations and how to conjugate verbs in Spanish, but now they say we have to apply to schools and pick a major…Ummm, I just want to know how we are supposed to know that? And you better believe that everyone who’s anyone has an opinion on what we should do with our lives, and what’s the best option. I’d give choosing a college and a major a whopping 5 out of 10 Is This Really What It’s Cracked Up To Be? scale.

Then after that fun comes the hard part, which is actually applying for college. They want transcripts, letters of recommendation, and application fees, all by a deadline. The kicker? Doing all of that doesn’t even secure you a spot at their college. Crazy right? Applying for college is a 3 out of 10 on I’m Applying For College Already? scale.

After the college application process is over and you get your acceptance letter, you do get a brief feeling of being on top of the world, but don’t get too excited. That only lasts for a moment, because after you get accepted comes the fees. They want a housing deposit here, an enrollment deposit there, and that’s just the start. Then they tell you, you can’t have a car on campus, or that you have to rent their mini fridges. It’s insane! Even though it’s insane it’s still exciting that in a few short months we get to leave, so I’d give it a 7 out of 10 on the We’re So Close scale.

Once you are accepted, another joy of senior year comes creeping in. It’s scholarship application season. This is the one thing everyone will lie to you about. They’ll say, “It’s easy!” and that it’s a walk in the park, but let me tell you, after experiencing this “walk in the park” I can say it’s more like an icy run uphill in the middle of a snowball fight. There are a million and one scholarships to apply for, and they also require letters and transcripts, and once more, after you apply, it doesn’t guarantee that you will receive this money. This is a crazy aspect of senior year that they never really tell you about until you are already in it for all of its insanity and extra work. Applying for scholarships gets a 2 out of 10 on the “Yes, Mom, I’m Working On It!” scale.

The beginning of the end puts you on a wild roller coaster of emotions. For those of you who don’t know what this is, it’s the beginning of your last time doing something. For instance, your last time performing on the Presque Isle High School stage, your last time playing basketball in the gym, or your last Winter Carnival. These endings make you feel all these emotions you never knew you even had about this school and the people here. It makes you realize how fast time goes and that you have to appreciate every second. This is a sad part of senior year and it earns itself a 1 out of 10 on the I Think I Actually Might Miss This School scale.

So there you have it. Senior year: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s not that bad. I definitely can’t give it a 10 out of 10, but I would recommend it. I would give it at least a 9. For all you underclassmen, enjoy your days as high school students; it doesn’t last forever and soon enough you will be a senior faced with a whole new set of challenges and experiences unique to your past years. To all of you seniors, let’s enjoy these last few months here.