With senior year just around the corner, a lot of realizations have come to mind. Things are starting to get serious and honestly, the anticipation is killing me. It's so insane to think that just yesterday we were in kindergarten walking to class in our straight line, hoping the teacher wouldn't bust you and your best gal pal from talking. Or when your biggest concern was your spelling test, or how much time you would get for recess. But now you're problems are much bigger, much more evident and much more important. I've come to comprehend various different factors that will play a role in how I will spend my senior year, as well as started to understand what's scaring me about this coming year.

1. College Applications.

We always hear the seniors complaining about the stress associated with college applications, but we never really understand until we're there for ourselves, and here we are. It's not necessarily that college applications are difficult, it's just that they're so utterly time-consuming. Some of the essay prompts are even considered easy, but then, you start to overthink about how the essay will inevitably determine your future, and you over do it.

2. Extracurricular activities.

Well, you're already freaking out about academics in general, as well as college applications, scholarships, your financial aid issues and everything else under the sun, but don't forget about all the things you do other than your homework, such as theater, choir, band, art, community service and all that other stuff. You've realized that without this sort of "break" from academics, you'd be going completely bonkers so you continue to break your back to keep yourself sane.

3. Social Life.

Don't forget that you also need to have a social life! This is the last year that you're gonna be spending with your friends so you have to cherish these last moments with them. It's important to have that close group of friends for whenever you're in need of the support. Friends provide a comic relief for almost any situation and having them in the life chapter that is senior year can be a wondrous addition.

4. Family.

Family is something that's important to all of us, and you're coming to the realization that you're about to go from seeing your loved one every day to seeing them only on weekends and breaks. Some may be excited for this, hoping to gain independence, however; I believe that many of us fail to realize the amount we rely on our loved ones for meals, money, love, affection, attention and everything under the sun. So the transition will be difficult for us, and we may not even realize the extent of it.

5. Responsibility.

I've always been responsible because my parents have always had a large amount of trust for me, which is something that I wouldn't want to jeopardize, however; figuring out how to juggle a social life, academics, extracurriculars, college applications and spending time with family is going to be a difficult task. But I think I'm up for the challenge.