Since two years have passed, it seems like senior year of high school was eons ago. All it is now is a memory. While this may bring me a little bit of sadness because it recognizes how old I am, it also brings me a lot of relief. I am now currently a sophomore in college, studying subjects I love with a community of friends I never dreamed of having. I wish I could go back in time and tell my senior year self that it'll all be ok.
I am currently having a conversation with my sister. She is a senior in high school stressing about everything in her life. Our current conversation:
Me: "So how's life"
MaryKate: "It kinda sucks, like I'm so stressed out...I have a million things to do".
She basically goes on and on about how she needs to go to guidance to get all her transcripts, meet with her guidance counselor about recommendations, make edits to her college essay, attend field hockey practices, as well as pasta parties and other obligations seeing as she is captain of her team. She has to maintain a decent GPA so she can get into college, and also have a great time because your senior year of high school is something you should enjoy every single minute of!
I completely understand every single one of her stresses. It was not too long ago, I was in the same exact boat. Senior year is such a weird time. The stress of figuring out your future at age 17/18 is simply absurd, and the heaviness of the thought of "the rest of your life" is not something that should be consuming young adults. I just want to take a moment to ensure the current seniors in high school that everything will be okay. It may seem like you're not going to get into college, that you're going to be a failure at life, and that you're never going to survive on your own, but guess what? You will!
You will finish your college application in time.
It might be a pain, and you might stress out about getting your transcripts in and what not, but take it one day at a time. Stay organized. Talk to your guidance counselors and teachers. They want to help you. It may seem like you have a million things to do right now, but trust me, after it's done you will feel so relieved and an entire weight will be lifted off your shoulders.
You will get into college.
It might not be your #1 choice or your #10 choice, but at the end of the day, a degree is a degree, don't listen to what anyone else tells you.
You will make friends.
I know it is so hard to imagine life without your high school squad. But guess what, there are people who you will learn to love and people who will learn to love you. I NEVER thought, in a million years that I would find a group of friends who knew me/liked me better than my friends at home. I simply couldn't imagine it. Except it happened. It's funny because I haven't even known my high school friends for more than two years, but it feels like I have known them for an entire lifetime. Making new friends doesn't mean you have to drop the old! Friendship makes life great.
You will find a major.
Everyone freaks out about going to college undecided. There is no shame going in not knowing what the heck you want to do with your life. How can you know when there are a million subjects you didn't even get a glance at in high school? Wouldn't you rather go in undecided than get to college and realize you hate what you're doing and have to change your entire track?? Not knowing what you want to do gives you the opportunity to explore and figure out the ideal path for your career. There is no shame in not knowing. It takes time to decide, and you will know when you know.
You will be OKAY!
Senior year is your last year of high school. It is the last time of your life when most of your responsibility doesn't actually fall on you. It is the last time for a long time where you get to be a big fish in a small pond. It is the last time you get to relish in the stadium lights at a big night game against your rival team. It is the last time you get to walk down the hallway and every teacher knows your name. It is the last time your parents can wake you up for school and see you every single day before you are off on your own. Basically, there are a lot of simple things that seniors take for granted, and the point is, you shouldn't. So stop worrying about the little things/things you can't control. Why worry when it'll all be worth it in the end? You will survive and you will thrive!
