The Seven Phases of Senior Year

Senior year is an emotional roller coaster. I wish I could say it felt like this. But a lot of the time it feels like this†¦ Here’s what all you underclassmen have to look forward to: Phase One: Big dogs on campus It’s the first day of school. You drive up to campus in your own car, feeling pretty awesome about it. Maybe you even have â€Å"SEN1OR5S† written in washable paint on the windows. You and your friends walk past the freshmen, who basically look like elementary school students. For the whole month of September, you’re feeling like you run the school. Phase Two: OH WAIT I have college apps (panic ensues) Senior year is not all fun and games! You have a lot of work to get done. Will you ever perfect your Common Application essay? How are you ever going to get all of those supplements done? You better get started. Phase Three: Work 24/7 People aren’t lying when they say first semester senior year is the hardest time of high school. You’re balancing homework, applications, extracurricular activities and maybe even SATs. Plus, colleges are watching. This is your last chance to redeem yourself if your GPA isn’t as high as you wanted it to be. Phase Four: Winter Break Winter break is an exciting time for many reasons. First of all, you’re off school for a little while, so that’s obviously nice. And you also get to celebrate because you’ve finished the hell that was first semester. You’ve likely even finished college applications. Now you get to look forward to the legendary second semester of senior year, when grades don’t matter very much and you can have a lot more fun. But winter break can also be the beginning of a whole different kind of stress. If you applied early, this is when you hear back from schools. And although it’s great that your college applications are submitted, all you can do now is wait Phase Five: Senioritis When second semester hits, everyone feels completely done with any and all schoolwork. Many of us spend our time sleeping and watching Netflix. A bad test grade here and there? Who cares! Phase Six: At each other’s throats When we reach the middle of March, tension seems to pervade the senior class. College acceptance and rejection letters are pouring in, and everyone needs to make their final decision about where they want to go. There’s competition and drama when one person gets in and another doesn’t, so be extra sensitive to everyone’s feelings at this time. Phase Seven: Party time! What a relief! We’re finally done!!! Now it’s time for graduation parties, then summer vacation. We look back with nostalgia on the past four years, but we’re mostly just excited for the next four.