By: Carlo Gonzalez, Cristal Chavez, Michelle Gomez, Miguel Verduzco
It’s early in the morning, dew still visible on green leaves, and clouds are missing in the sky. Students enter either eagerly or tiredly through the high, black gates of Animo Pat Brown. As another school year begins, another class of students continue their academic career. However, this is different as the upper classmen enter and have to deal with college applications, scholarship applications., EOP, and Common App.
Senior life can be very stressful with all the things they have to deal with. Seniors have to keep up with their own classes. This can be strenuous for some seniors because some are taking up to five AP classes this year.
Senior year, no doubt, can be full of adversaries. It is the final year of high school as the final year of being a teenager. This means applying to colleges and attending them next year, saying goodbye to our friends, and getting to finally graduate from high school. However, this finale does not have to be straining, there are some things in store that are genuinely fun. Aside from paperwork, there are amazing memories to be made. There is Robotics, a class in which students get to make and program a robot, from scratch. There is also Student Council, a group of students that handle all activities that happen throughout the school year. Many people actually look forward to these activities, such as school dances and senior activities, to relieve themselves from stress and to, well, enjoy high school. So what exactly does it mean to be a senior, to party since it’s the last year or to spend long nights on college applications?
Despite all these intricacies pertaining to senior life, many students’ opinions tend to differ on what exactly senior life is.
Ashley Castellanos, a current 10th grader in APB, mentioned that the senior life consisted of preparing for many exams every senior take, college applications, and other events that can be exciting and stressful. Ashley also mentioned that she is looking forward to her senior year because she can’t wait to leave high school, but yet she is planning to challenge herself throughout her high school years because she wants to get accepted to a good college. Even though, she wants to challenge herself she is quite not sure if she would want to take AP courses since, she doesn’t know if it will get too complicated for her. Ashley is also aware that in order to graduate one must have all A-G requirements and a solid GPA to get accepted to a good college. However, senior year is not only a year applications and exams but also contains exciting events that many students look forward such as: Senior Ditch Day, Grand Night, Prom, Senior Prank Day, etc. and other senior events. Ashley included that the administrators should add an event were seniors have a day at school but they decide what they should do the whole day. Ashley also included, that being in the sophomore year has her stressing over her Biology class because she says that her teacher expects a lot of work from them in a couple of days. Ashley is also worried about not meeting the requirements in order to graduate, and about making a mistake on her college applications. Overall, Ashely is very excited to leave high school but she believes that the senior presentation can be a big challenge.
Alexis Navarro is a senior currently at APB. We asked her various numbers of questions to understand how she feels being a senior. Alexis claims that senior life consists of preparing for college and getting ready to take on responsibilities of becoming adults. Alexis is looking forward to her senior year but always feels she wants to go back to 9th grade because of being afraid she’s not going to be ready for the adult life. Although she feels a bit afraid she’s challenging herself by not depending on anyone to help her in work and other assignments. Alexis doesn’t want to to take any AP classes this year due to the stacks of assignments she has to deal with now. She’s also preparing herself in becoming a successful senior by coming early to school the rest of the year and passing her classes with A’s and B’s. Alexis as says “It’s important that I keep pushing myself into accomplishing these goals because only I can make myself do better”. Besides all the work and assignments she’s aware of the senior events that go on ending her senior year and she’s excited about it especially because she never been to a dance. Given the option to give a preference of another event Alexis feels the events going on already are fine and sound fun. The main thing she’s stresses her is staying up really late having to finish research for evidence and writing her personal statement essay.
As the focal points of senior year differ from student to students, as well as from person to person, there is a consensus. That is, senior year is a critical year in becoming an adult. Moreover, it is a very dense year filled with constant pressure but is ended with a very rewarding payoff, your bright future.
