Going into senior year, many people told me it was the best year of high school and that I would have the best experience with almost no work load. I have always wondered what senior year of high school would feel like; would it mimic the best times of my life, like portrayed in High School Musical? However, I am here to say that my high school experience was much different than my favorite movie.

One commonly-held belief I found the most false about high school is the thought that academically it was one of the easiest years. Personally, junior year was hard taking multiple AP classes, but I had some easier AP’s that did not require hours of homework every night. This year, I took more specialized AP classes, such as AP European History, that included a large workload every week. Therefore, I found myself more stressed this year than ever before and I spent probably around three to four hours a night working on homework.

One thing that made senior year much more challenging than previous years is the fact that on top of the homework I did every night, I had to take time to think and plan for my future, while just trying to get through the senior year stress. I spent numerous late nights submitting college applications to seven schools and applying for scholarships; this is the reality for many seniors as well. My dreams of spending my afternoons doing whatever I wanted were never fulfilled until about mid-May.

While I would not say Senior year was easier, I would agree with the fact that it does fly by. I remember dreading how slow I thought the year was going by first semester, but looking back I cannot believe graduation is a few weeks away. I keep pinching myself, thinking there is more time but every stress has been worth getting to be able to walk across the stage June 7.

I have also been focused more this year than any other on spending time with the people I care about before we have to leave for college. I made sure that I went to football and sport events, hung out with my friends and planned fun trips with my friends. While senior year did not include of random outbursts of dance, it has been meaningful.  I would say every year of my high school has been enjoyable in their own ways.

One thing I have heard about senior year that I didn’t fully understand or believe was the idea of senioritis. Here is the truth about senioritis; it is most definitely a real thing and it hits you some days. There have been moments when I have not done very well on tests, but am not willing to change anything about my work. I really believe all Seniors have moments where “senioritis” hits, but there are ways to overcome the laziness seniors feel.

Senior year has also been challenging because I faced having a part-time job while juggling school work. My job took up a couple night’s worth of getting work done, almost as doing an athletic activity takes up time in other students’ schedule. Looking back, high school seems to have been very hectic with struggles.

Overall, senior year has been stressful and a struggle to deal with all the work that comes along with graduating, but has been worth every minute. While it is nothing like the movie “High School Musical” I want to emphasize the importance to cherish your last year in high school. It truly is like no other year.