Being a senior is weird. At times, you feel relieved because finally you’ve reached the end of high school and are beginning to embark on the adventures of adulthood. Sometimes, part of you feels sad to leave behind the triumphant moments of your childhood. 

Since you are now likely beginning to deal with real responsibilities such as getting a job, going to college, and essentially figuring out what you want to do with your life, it’s certainly not easy growing up. Granted, some of these responsibilities are thrilling; owning a car, being independent, paying for yourself, and exploring the world (to an extent) are all liberating moments for a person.

All of these changes alone are enough for you to reasonably handle, but that doesn’t mean your other responsibilities disappear. You’re still in school for a pretty significant amount of time per week; doing well in classes, completing quality homework, attending club meetings, and playing on sports teams are all areas of focus in addition to deciding how you want your future to turn out during the college application process.

From this description alone, you might think senior year of high school is a nightmare, but that’s not really the case. You still have a lot of work, but by this point in time, getting it all done responsibly is second nature. You’ve also most likely finished satisfying most of your graduation requirements, so you’ll be picking classes you WANT to actually take. Through it all, it’s important to actually enjoy the perks of being a senior such as Homecoming, Follies, prom, banquet, and graduation. Especially after the stress of the college application process dwindles, there will be plenty of times you’ll actually be able to relax and have fun. 

As a senior, you’ll still spend those late nights studying for tests and be forced to push through those agonizing early mornings. But, in all honesty, knowing you only have less than a year of high school to go makes it completely worth it. Most importantly, try to take it all in. You’ll certainly have a better senior year if you surround yourself with the right group of friends and take advantage of the opportunities presented to you both inside and out of the classroom.