By: Meghan Kolcum
As another year begins, seniors’ stress rises due to the pressure of AP Classes, college applications, and maintaining good grades. Senior year is supposed to be one of the best years of your life. It’s supposed to be fun and easy, right? Unfortunately for many, the first semester of senior year is stressful, and underclassmen should have some sort of understanding of what the crazy hectic lives of senior year has to offer. This guide and senior opinions should make their senior year as stress free as possible.
Long hours of sitting down in a desk and taking a three hour test is not something anyone looks forward to. The SATs and ACTs do not have to be a nightmare for anyone, though. Some people just don’t have that great of an experience with the test. Senior Sana Amado says, “I did not have the best experience when I first took the SAT. My calculator ran out of batteries.” If you’re a good test taker, then chances are you’re not worried about this section. “The SATs and tests are scoring how hard you’ve studied for the test; it’s not there to measure intelligence but for how well you’ve studied for the test,” says senior Caely McHale. On the other hand, for those who are worried about test taking, you may want to keep a few things in mind. The SAT sections include Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. Each of the sections are scored on a scale of 0-800. The best possible score you could obtain on the test is a 2400. Meanwhile, the ACT tests students on English, Math, Reading and Science. The scores range from 1-36. “For those who struggle with tests and are nervous: Take them early, study for the sections you don’t feel comfortable with, and then retake [them],” says senior Kylie Ritz.
Many seniors have their eye on a numerous colleges and universities, ranging from Virginia Tech, NYU, and even colleges outside of the country. Senior Lori Kostka is looking at a school in Ohio, Franciscan University of Steubenville, due to its amazing religious programs and well-known professors from around the world. What makes college applications so difficult? “The most difficult part about working on college [applications] would have to be deadlines,” says senior Kristen Lewkovich. The vast amount of essays that students have to write can also be challenging. “The essays are difficult [because you’re] writing about you and trying not to sound pompous,” says McHale. The stress can be limited depending on when you start the application process. “I would recommend starting college applications over the summer so that you have lots of time and a relief [from] stress,” says Ritz.
Senior classes can be difficult, but it depends on how stressful you want your senior year to be. Many end up taking a ton of AP classes, but that’s not for everyone. The amount of APs should vary with you are as a person. Amado says, “AP classes aren’t nearly as hard, so I would recommend taking as many as possible, since an A in an AP class is better than an A in an academic class.”
“Senior year can be a very fun time. Just be mindful of the your time and you’ll have a great year,” says Jenny Klug.
