The Class of 2023 is heading into the last year of high school. Senior year is full of great opportunities and allows students to start shifting their lives into the ‘big pond’ while still having fun. The year is exciting, but can also be nerve-wracking for some students.

As seniors there are a lot more conveniences and perks than other high school years. Junior Shea Meade says, “I can’t wait to have the freedom of parking in the lot, leaving for lunch, senior trips, etc.” The benefits that Shea listed are most commonly looked forward to by our 2023 class.

Alongside the excitement of benefits, Junior Maya Bolduc says, “I can not wait to graduate and get out of high school, but I am definitely going to enjoy my year and the things that come with it.”

Besides the excitement, some students have nerves about what senior year brings. Junior Benny Reyes says, “I’m worried that the relaxation of senior year will get to me, and my grades won’t be good enough to send off to colleges.”

Juniors often fear ‘senioritis,’ because they don’t want their grades to slip after three years of hard work. Junior Emily Cooper also expresses fear by saying, “I’m worried about carrying the responsibility of being a senior, because we’re starting to mold the rest of our lives in our own hands and it’s kind of scary to think about.”

Beside the fear of ‘senioritis’ some incoming seniors have it opposite. Junior Emily Galovic explains what she would’ve done differently in her high school years by saying, “I would have valued my time more and not procrastinate, and I would have made an effort to be a part of more school clubs and fundraisers.”

In a poll of 50 juniors, 29 students are more nervous than excited to go into the last year. Senior Olivia Galway shared advice to the incoming seniors. She says, “My best advice is to try not to be nervous…it’s nothing everyone hasn’t done before, it’s just another year of high school. There are way more things to be excited about like all the advantages and freedom. It’s also a really important time to find out what your next step will be after you graduate, and the best part is that you get to have fun doing it.”

The class of 2023 will officially start their senior year on September 1, 2022. Hopefully the nerves will be calmed by then, and everyone will be able to enjoy everything senior year has to offer, from the little conveniences of parking in the lot and getting to leave for lunch, the lasts of football game and pep rally,  senior trips and events, all the way to senior prom and graduation.

See you next year as senior Hurricanes!