Senior year– The final stretch of high school. You’re finally the oldest, the leader, at the top of the food chain, and get the privileges the underclassmen dream of. However, I’m not going to lie; some challenges come up this year, and I’m going to share tips on how to survive the grueling points of senior year.
Anticipate the dreaded college talk:
One of the most common stressors of senior year is the college talk. At Seven Hills High School, the 2024 #1 Best Private College Prep High School in Greater Cincinnati and #5 In Ohio, according to Niche.com, the pressure of academics is extra prevalent on campus compared to the average high school. The school is rigorous, and Seven Hills High School college counselor Julie DiRoma said, “I think our curriculum is really well respected by colleges.” Seven Hills students often strive to challenge themselves as the average ACT score for high school students is 32, and SAT scores are 1410. To impress colleges even more, Seven Hill students have to complete Challenge Projects. As Diroma explains, “One of the things that differentiates Seven Hill students… was the challenge project. Colleges want to see that independent work, taking the initiative, pursuing something interesting, and so that is something we have built into the system here.” The Challenge Project is another factor that adds to a senior’s college resume, but it also adds another layer of stress for seniors.
Underlying The Seven Hill School’s “well respected” curriculum is tremendous stress for students, especially seniors. Seven Hills High School senior Alexa Kecman said, “Our college culture here is horrible. It’s terrible…People will judge you for where you apply and don’t apply, and people started releasing their stats all of a sudden.” Furthermore, this dreaded college talk, specifically at Seven Hills, makes tensions between peers high. Seven Hills High School senior Abby Robinson stated, “The college process was really bad for me. It was actually the worst time of my life…Constantly hearing people say, ‘Oh, I got in there’ or ‘I got this scholarship there,’ it’s really toxic, and I don’t know, I’ve ruined friendships over the college process.”
However, there are ways to make the college application process more manageable. Senior Laila Kerr said, “If you apply to a ton of schools, it makes it ten times harder because you have to write a ton of supplemental essays. If you apply to colleges without them, then it’s super nice. I’d suggest to ED(early decision) because EDing is easier, and if you get in, it takes a lot of stress off of you.”
The Seven Hills college prep experience is different for all seniors. Senior Ethan Blatt stated, “I didn’t think the college application process was that hard because I did it early. I did it all over the summer.” So, for the future seniors reading this, a key takeaway is to start early with your work if you plan to apply to many colleges(especially ones with supplemental essays); know that an early decision to a college could be your best friend, and anticipate the dreaded college talk. “Don’t talk to your friends about grades and stuff… Don’t talk about your ACT scores. Don’t talk about your GPA because it doesn’t help anything. It doesn’t help your friendships.” said Robinson. Finally, Seven Hills High School senior Erin Pierani explained, “Everybody talks about college, so have your answers ready because no one likes it when you say ‘I don’t know’…”
Senioritis:
After the grueling, tiring, and stressful process of applying to colleges, seniors can be treated to the relief of senioritis– a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation, performance, or school attendance. During senior year, classes can sound tedious and pointless as your grades matter much less during that last second semester of high school. Blatt explains, “I wasn’t expecting to have so much free time second semester…I think my senioritis is abnormally bad. I think it is as bad as it can be… I’ve been tardy sixteen out of nineteen days this quarter. And last quarter, I think I was tardy about 24 times.” Kecman claims, “After the research paper [senioritis] is justified, and mine has gotten so much worse.” Moreover, Senior Laila Kerr stated, “I attend about 45% of classes.”
However, a warning to some future seniors is that not all seniors enjoy the luxury of senioritis. Robinson stated, “The school didn’t give me the chance for senioritis…I think senioritis depends on your workload, course load, and when you get into college. People that got into college in December have had more senioritis than the people that are still not.”
During your senior year, missing class can get addicting; however, be reminded that your grades will decline, and cheating the Seven Hills curriculum is cheating yourself and your tuition dollars.
How to survive the other parts of senior year:
Senior year is not all about school; it’s also about enjoying your final year as a high schooler. There are many other tips the Seven Hills seniors had for their underclassmen. As Pierani said, “Go to all of the things. Do all of the things. Have fun. Go to the basketball games, and don’t be boring.” Games, dances, and events are all ways to bond with your community. The Seven Hills School is small, with about 100 students in each grade, so it feels like everyone knows each other. On the other hand, it also feels like everyone knows everyone’s business. As Pierani elaborated, “I think people care too much about what others think of you…I know everything about everyone. People know everything about everyone.” Senior year gets incredibly rocky with the gossip because it’s your final year; there is a feeling there are less consequences to your words and actions and relationships may even hold less value to you. Ultimately, during senior year, friendships get easily broken; sometimes, you will be stuck with very few friends.
The dating scene gets complicated at Seven Hills too, especially during senior year. Kerr recommended, “Don’t date people from your school…and being toxic and breaking up sucks.” Again, everyone knows your business at this school, and having bad blood with your ex can get tricky as there is a chance rumors about you may spread and even your secrets. Senior year relationships can get especially hard because many seniors feel like a significant other seems pointless as there is little promised duration since it’s their final year of high school, and some couples stay strong; however, many end quickly.
Senior year is a tremendously impactful year as it is your first step into adulthood. Regardless, everything will work out eventually. Take the advice of those around you, and do what you feel is best. Don’t wrap yourself up in all the work and forget to take advantage of your senior year. Doing this will make senior year a little more survivable.