Everyone remembers their senior year of high school. Whether they loved it or hated it it’s something that will always stick with them. When I was younger it was all I looked forward to, in television shows and movies it’s the most sought after time of your life. You’re finally the big kids on campus, you have senior activities, prom, applying/getting into college, and ultimately graduation.
However it’s safe to say that all of these things come with some struggles throughout the year. As a senior, I feel it is only fair to enlighten everyone on the situation and how frustrating some things can actually be for us.
The first and most overwhelming sensation I’ve felt since starting this year is FOMO. FOMO, or “Fear Of Missing Out” is that lame feeling in your stomach where you feel like everyone is off having the time of their lives without you. The reason seniors feel this is because of the recently graduated friends we have who are now moving onto bigger and better things at the University of their choice. I go on Facebook where I am bombarded by photo album after photo album of adventures from people who are starting the newest and arguably the most exciting stages of their lives as freshmen.
I can’t help but envy them as I scroll through pictures of girls rushing sororities, groups of new friends attending football games decked out in their school colors, and aesthetically pleasing pictures of their tiny shoebox dorm rooms. While it does give me an intense feeling of “why am I still in high school when there are people moving on with their lives all around me,” it also makes me feel giddy with anticipation of what is to come next.
It’s a classic "the grass is always greener on the other side" situation. Last year as juniors, we wanted senior year and all the glory with which it comes. This year as seniors, we want college and change and all the fresh new experiences it encompasses.
A huge aspect of senior year that I find myself marveling over again and again is that we are the oldest kids there. We are those people that freshmen stare at in wonder and question when they’ll ever look that old (sometimes). We used to be those freshmen at the bottom of the food chain, nothing more than an inconvenience with a high-pitched voice and an overly-sized backpack. But it’s all changed, we are the ones who sit at the front of the bleachers at football games, we are the ones who finally get to sit on the left corner of the gymnasium during pep rallies.
It’s all different for us this year, and while we crave that transition into college so we no longer have to miss out on all the glory of finally being independent, we still have senior year left. Everyone will remember this year for the rest of our lives, so instead of sitting inside on a computer all day gawking at what could potentially be us next year, we should actually put in the effort to make this year something worth remembering.
