Graduation season is approaching. As the month of May sneaks up on the current seniors, so does their anxiety. May has become the month of deadlines, and many students find it exhausting. The pressure to have everything figured out, whether it be college, trade school, a gap year, or another path puts a toll on a lot of students’ mental health.
For many seniors, May marks one of the most dramatic shifts of their life. Seniors are constantly overwhelmed by applications and deadlines. Managing college applications, scholarship deadlines, housing requirements for college, and federal financial aid dates becomes extremely exhausting. Graduation fees on top of college acceptance fees, create a feeling of never ending financial stress.
Additionally, May is the month many teenagers become independent. Many seniors are already 18 by this time, so the adult responsibilities are really sinking in. Families are constantly pressuring their children to have a plan. With countless career paths available, how is one teenager expected to have everything figured out right now? So what’s the point of it all?
Senior, Promyse Bevil, expresses her opinion as the end of her high school journey approaches. “I often feel pressured to have everything figured out.” She then mentions the pressures of seeing her peers succeed and second guessing her path. “When I see that everyone is going out of state, I wonder if I’m holding myself back by staying in Illinois.” However, in some cases the pressure can be rewarding. Jabraya Eubanks describes that she uses her family’s pressures “as a motivating thing and not just something that haunts her.”
Additionally, social media is a huge factor in teenagers’ stress. Platforms are flooded with announcements, acceptances, and commitments. This may leave the undecided students feeling discouraged or anxious. Senior, Kemaria Rush explains how comparisons impact her confidence, especially financially. Kemaria has dreams of attending a Historically Black College or University, but with high academic competition, she worries about the amount of funding she will receive. She constantly compares herself to her peers in regards to funding and what type of school she attends. “I’m comparing myself to how much scholarship money they’re receiving.” She even considers changing her HBCU plans to follow the most money.
With so much change, the graduating seniors must remember that everyone’s path is different. Plans often change and priorities will naturally shift.
As a high school senior, we must remember to live in the moment. This doesn’t mean to forget about our responsibilities, but it’s encouragement to take everything one step at a time. Graduation is not about having everything figured out. It’s a celebration of our high school years and a goodbye to our childhood as we embark on a much greater journey. As the month of May creeps closer, I encourage every senior to live in the moment. Consider how fast these past four years went by!
We will soon look back from our successful lives and miss the high school moments we encounter now.
