Senior year doesn’t feel like senior year
Photo courtesy of Murwah Murwad
The Class of 2017, who hoped to get the same perks during senior year as the students before them, receive a year of construction and a mountain of stress instead, leaving many seniors at WS bitter and frustrated over a not-so-special final year at WS.
December 13, 2016
To freshmen who are just entering high school, seniors seem to be the coolest human beings in the world… or at least in school. They are part of an elite crowd where teachers are their best friends and rules are bent for them.
Now, as a senior myself, I can tell you it’s nothing like that. It’s a lot of all-nighters and coffee runs and hard work. Whoever said junior year was the most stressful year of high school was a liar.
There isn’t a constant flow of festive activities, but there is a constant flow of college applications, and standardized tests, and fees, and essays. On top of all that, there are actual school assignments that need to be done, honor society meetings to be attended and community service hours to be completed. And don’t get me started on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It’s a stressful time for all seniors. I had to drop my fall sport.
The class of 2017 is also deprived of certain privileges that previous classes were granted, like parking spots for ALL seniors. I leave my house at 6:50 am everyday to get a spot on Hillside. I can’t even imagine what the situation is going to be like when it starts to snow in the winter. Students will have to start storing shovels in their trunks.
Lockers were also something a lot of seniors were robbed of this year. Most seniors take multiple AP classes and that requires hauling textbooks all over the school. My backpack has become my enemy.
We understand that construction puts a strain on everyone, and we are not trying to be negative about the situation, but it is a little unfair to us. That has to be at least acknowledged. I expected this year to be different than it has been so far. The WS student body has to walk through ginormous puddles and freezing winds to get to classes. Students race to class to be on time, leave lunch early to be on time, and skip bathroom breaks to be on time. I know it’s what’s expected but students should get some credit for the effort they put in.
In my opinion, it does not feel like senior year. I feel cheated of a fantasy I’ve had in my head since freshmen year. But that’s just it; it was a fantasy.
