Senior year is the best year of high school. It’s when you get to relax, hang out with your friends, make fun of the freshmen, and fantasize about moving far, far away. Right? Wrong.
Senior year is stress overload, and according to the American Psychological Association, the percentage of high school seniors who frequently felt overwhelmed increased from 28.5 percent to 30.4 percent over the last year. This is because senior year is full of AP classes, extracurricular activities, and, of course, college applications.
The cycle of applying to college seems never ending because no matter how many essays you write, there is still more work to do. When I finally finish my homework at night, I am overjoyed for approximately three seconds until I realize that my work is not done. I still have to write my supplements, check on the progress of my transcript request, or edit my resume for the tenth time. Just thinking about it now makes me want to crawl under my covers, go to sleep, and not wake up until March when all this is over.
This year was not at all how I thought it was going to be, but I soon realized that being so negative about everything all the time isn’t going to make the process any easier. And sitting in my room, plugging away at applications all day isn’t going to make me feel any better. I soon realized that the only way I was going to feel better about both myself and the application process was to take some time for myself, and I implore all seniors to do the same.
I know it may seem impossible to step away from the computer for even just a second, but it really is important. Even if it’s going outside for an hour or reading a book for fun, just take some time for yourself. I personally love to just quietly sit and watch some trashy reality TV show that makes me feel better about my life. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, going for a run or a taking a spin class are some other great ideas. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, doctors recommend exercise more than any other coping technique for stress.
We are filling out all these applications and driving ourselves crazy, so we should take some time to just relax. We should do something every day that we just enjoy doing. Not for our parents, not for the admissions officers, and not for our teachers, but for ourselves. It might seem like a waste of time at first, but a little relaxation can go a long way, and that’s just the way it is.
