When I  came into high school my freshman year, I was  bright eyed and bushy tailed and excited for the next four years of my life, and as I near the end I am still excited but a very different person and extremely tired. My freshman year, I  was told it was the most important year, and it will set me up for success my senior year. I was also told that certain behaviors or actions won’t fly when I become a senior, and while some won’t, others can make you stand out amongst the 300 other students in your class. Ultimately, the two biggest lies that I was told is that senior year will be your easiest year and you’ll have the least amount of stress your senior year. 

The first lie I heard the most from seniors, teacher, and even my own parents is that this year is a breeze because you don’t have to worry about the SAT/ACT, you get to leave early, you will  have all these activities throughout the year, you get to make your decision on where you  want to go to college, prom and then *poof* your senior year is over. But that is a lie, there is so much that goes in between all those things that nobody told me about.

For example, the part about applying for college – while it is easier than it used to be with common apps – picking where I wanted to go wasn’t a breeze, you have to do research and I found out a lot of people choose colleges simply for the well-known name and not for what the school actually provides, and they don’t enjoy it there. But that’s not talked about, there was no one telling me about how writing that personal essay no matter if I had a prompt or not is grueling especially if I had other classes to worry about. Most seniors don’t write that personal essay during the summer, and even if you did by the time you start applying for college you’re going to want to or be told to revise it.

While you don’t necessarily have to worry about the SAT/ACT if you are not happy with your score like I was, you now have to find where to retake it and study for that as well. Even though I get to leave early, that means there is less time to make up for mistakes that I make.

And prom is not all the glitz and glam you see on the day of. Some kids like me don’t have parents that will just pay for everything and have to work to have their dream prom which adds another layer of complexity. Some kids have to find someone to make their dress or suit if their parents won’t do that for them. If you’re a girl, you have to find hair, nails and whatever else you want on that day, and it’s not as simple as it sounds.

I was also told that senior year should be the least stressful year; well, that’s a lie.

It was very stressful. From dealing with the change in the dynamic with parents, to trying to figure out if you can get your job back when you come home from college, or the work you need to take but didn’t have to take, it’s stressful. 

Admittedly, you have some seniors whose year is easy and smooth and not stressful and those are the ones who have nothing but their mandatory English class and then all electives. They have nothing to worry about, no work that really means anything to them, and they are just waiting to walk across that stage. I’m not knocking this choice, but if you want to do something after high school like go to college or go into a trade, you’re going to take the classes that you need to succeed in these fields; therefore, you’re going to have stress.

Stress is not always bad, that means you’re trying and there is nothing wrong with that; it’s how you deal with that stress that gets tricky. 

So, please, underclassmen, don’t let someone tell you senior year is going to be this easy lackadaisical year, because it’s not. If you come into it thinking that it will be like I did, you’re going to have a rude awakening but don’t let this message scare you.

Despite the lies I was told  about my senior year, I had a great time, even though I felt unprepared for some things and didn’t even know about others. It was a great experience, and if I could do it all over again, I would.