Senior year means a lot of things to a lot of people, but no matter where you’re from or what your major is there are five universal truths that every senior must face.

1. Spring semester

This is what it’s all about. This 16 week stretch of time will be the worst 16 weeks of your life, but surviving it means a very expensive piece of paper being handed to you at the end of a very long walk in front of an entire auditorium full of people. Spring semester usually sucks anyway because once spring break is over it’s all downhill until the end. It drags on forever and it just seems to be getting worse every day. But seniors, remember what this semester means. It’s 16 weeks of torture, but it’s the LAST 16 weeks of torture.

2. Stress

You won’t escape senior year without getting very well acquainted with stress. It’ll have you crying because you can’t find your blue highlighter or staying up until 3 a.m. the night before an exam thinking about all of the assignments you still have to do this week. All of the essays and presentations you have during the last few weeks will literally drive you crazy, but once the year is over the stress starts to go away. Until you remember that you have to enter the real world and get a job...

3. Spring Break

This last spring break is going to be the biggest and most important one of your entire life. You’ll want to laugh and cry and you’ll feel every emotion in-between. It’ll be your last week of true freedom before finals and the real world get thrown at you in all of their heavy stressful glory. Enjoy this last spring break. Make it big and make it count.

4. Sleep

At first, you’ll feel fine. Then it’s all you’re going to want so you’ll sleep in, miss some classes, nap in the middle of the day. It’s totally normal. But then it becomes a forgotten thing of the past. What’s sleep and how do I get some? Senior year teases you with the gloriousness of napping and then rips all hope of sleeping soundly away from you as you stress out about everything that’s to come. Maybe one day sleep will be normal again, but maybe this is just the life you need to learn to live.

5. Student loans

Remember all that money the government gave you to get an education? Well, it’s time to start paying that back! Sure, the beginning of senior year doesn’t make you think of that right away, but the end sure does. From the second you’re handed that expensive piece of paper a countdown begins until the day you have to pay. Fortunately for some, Grad school will happen and it puts off student loans for a little longer but be aware what’s coming around the corner.

The five S’s can be scary, but if you come prepared I promise you’ll make it out of senior year alive.