Finishing Strong

Senior year of high school is the year full of both stressful moments as well as celebratory ones. Almost every student is excited and more than ready to graduate and finally be done with high school. However, entering the final year of high school does not mean the hard work is done. Seniors still have to worry about earning all of their credits for graduation, passing all of their final classes and about creating an impressive resume for college applications. Part of the college application process is submitting to the colleges the final list of classes the student is taking. The list might be extremely impressive and help the student gain acceptance into that college, but if the student ends up dropping or failing these classes that they said they were taking in order to get into the college, does the student still deserve the college's acceptance? High school seniors should have to work hard and pass the classes they submitted to the colleges because if they do not, they are showing their lack of determination, integrity, and preparedness for the rigorous college lifestyle.

One of the main things that colleges look for in their applicants is a sense of determination and integrity. Colleges and college professors do not have the time nor the money to waste on students who are not ready to work and then lie about it. Educational funding is being cut repeatedly all throughout the United States so every dollar given to the educational system must be put to good use and invested in students worth the time. For every student who slacks and does not want to take advantage of all the opportunities given to them with their college acceptance is another student who is ready, but is just waiting for their time and attention. Education is an investment and if not invested wisely, our nation will begin to lose money and our nation's overall educational value will decrease. Secondly, lying in any situation is never beneficial. Outside of school, lying about the work you've done can result in serious legal trouble. Colleges want students who are ready to become educated adults who will help shape the future of the world. Being a liar as an adult gets you nowhere. In high school, counselors and teachers are constantly there to help students and to make sure they are on track to graduation. The adults warn the students when they begin to slack off and help them get back on track if necessary. However, in college there is no help. Colleges are not there to babysit students and are not afraid to simply kick students out of their school when they begin to show that they are wasting the institution's time. If a senior can't look after themselves for at least one year and finish their last year strong, colleges cannot expect them to once they enter college. Colleges do not have the time for students who are not ready and determined to become well-educated adults. Therefore, high school seniors must work hard to finish their classes to prove to these colleges that they are ready for adulthood and worthy of their time.

College life is the first chapter of adulthood. Almost complete independence is achieved and hardly any assistance is provided in college. Senior year of high school is the year to show colleges that you're ready to become an adult as well as a part of their community. Therefore, it is extremely important for seniors to finish their last year of high school with the same determination and level of hard work as they did in any other year of high school. If a senior says that they are going to take a class and pass it in order to get into college, but end up failing the class, how can the college's admissions board know that the student won't do the same in college? The student might once again sign up for a college class, but end up dropping out later or not pass the class. Instead of that student taking up a seat in the class and wasting the college's money and time, another student who was more prepared could have taken that spot and actually used the college's resources to benefit themselves. High school seniors do need to work hard because when they don't it shows the colleges that they are not determined nor ready for the college and adult life.

Senior Year Highlights

It's my senior year and there's so much for me to be excited about. There are plenty of new beginnings and endings to last throughout the year. First off, I'm looking forward to working hard with my ASB commission and fellow classmates to win Homecoming. It's my first and final year in ASB and as an officer I've got a lot of work to look forward too. There are going to be countless fundraisers and events I'm going to have to plan and set up, but I'm looking forward to their success and knowing that I was a part of it. The ending that is the most bittersweet for me is the end of my wrestling career. I've wrestled all throughout high school and made it to State last year. I'm excited and ready to have a repeat this year, hopefully along with some of my other teammates. I can't wait to work hard with my girls, defend our PAL championship title, and bring home some medals from the State Championships.

Once most of the hard work is done, I'm looking forward to being able to celebrate. The first thing I can't wait to celebrate is my college acceptance letter. I'll finally be able to answer all of the college related questions all of my older relatives and other adults keep on asking me. Hopefully they'll slow down once they know I've chosen a college and have some direction. Afterwards, one of the main events of the year that I will have spent a majority of my ASB-related time and fundraising efforts on will finally come around: Senior Ball. Even before Junior year ended, Senior Ball became a top priority for my class so I can't wait for the night to finally come so our whole class can have a fun night out dancing the night away. The week after Ball will be the week of my final AP tests. I can't wait to get those over with and lose all the stress that came with them. Celebration will definitely occur after AP week. Lastly, the thing almost every high school student, including myself, looks forward to is graduation. Just thinking about putting on that white cap and gown, walking across that stage, and receiving my diploma along with my handshake makes me excited. After a long twelve years, I'll finally be graduated and ready to enter the adult world in May.