SENIOR WHIPLASH: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE STRESSFUL

SENIOR JULIETA ORTIZ HAS A LOT ON HER MIND AS GRADUATION APPROACHES...; GRAPHIC BY OLIVIA FULLER

While there is a lot of excitement and freedom in being a senior in high school, there is an insane amount of pressure that comes with it. Generally seniors are pretty excited to become more independent and see what their future holds for them but deciding which path to take can be anxiety inducing. Constantly being asked “Do you know what you’re going to do after high school?” or “What college do you want to go to?” or “Have you applied to any scholarships yet?” is exhausting. In addition to all of the questions, seniors are also being sent dozens of postage from Universities while being reminded by others to “Enjoy your last year, it’ll be your best one yet!” Seniors start to experience whiplash as they’re pulled in so many different directions. 

The Anchor staff sent out a survey to the senior class of 2026 to hear what the seniors have to say. In total, 38 responses were collected. Seniors were asked to rate on a scale of one to ten, how pressured they feel about trying to figure out what to do after high school. The mode, or most common response, was a 9 while the mean was calculated to be 6.8. While there was a wide variety in the responses, it is evident that most people are feeling at least some form of pressure to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives, which puts a fair amount of stress on students.

The vast majority of seniors reported that they are experiencing many stressors and some common themes arose. The pressure to decide their future career at just seventeen years old, deciding whether or not to attend a University,  applying to  colleges,  finding and trying to  win scholarships, deciding a major, worrying about taking on student  loans  and debt, feeling  like  time  is  running  out, taking ACTs/SATs, and experiencing pressure from parents all while trying to balance the regular high school responsibilities like keeping up with school work, getting good grades, taking kirkwood  classes, sports, clubs, part time jobs, and maintaining a good social life starts to wear down on you after a while. Seniors can’t seem to catch a break from the long list of things to figure out. Even social media platforms, which is thought to be a form of escape, can serve as reminders of all the pressure as well-meaning individuals post helpful tips and tricks about navigating the college struggle. All of this has also left a good chunk of seniors feeling unmotivated and drained. 

DESPITE WHAT PEOPLE SAY, SENIORS STILL REMAIN DRAINED; GRAPHIC BY ROYCE POHLMAN

Another question in the survey asked if any stress affects how much seniors have been able to enjoy the school year so far. The responses were almost perfectly split between yes’s and no’s but with just a couple of more yes’s. Some students reported they’ve been able to enjoy their year just fine, maybe even more as they begin to care less about what others think of them. On the other hand, some feel that their stress has prevented them from enjoying it to the fullest.

There are a lot of complex feelings towards the topic of graduation. Seniors feel excited to start a new chapter in their lives and experience the freedom that comes with it. On the other hand, most have some level of nervousness or fear about a big change in their lives and needing to decide their future plans.  While it’s a major celebratory milestone, leaving behind close friends in other grades and favorite teachers makes it bittersweet.