Senior Year
 

I haven't seen this anywhere in this forum, so I'm going to assume that this topic has not yet been broached. If it has been discussed somewhere else, feel free to correct me.
Remember all that stuff people told you about senior year? You know, how it was going to be easy, a blast, you were going to love it. Yeah, that was ABSOLUTE CRAP. Senior year is nothing it's cracked up to be. I am under more stress than I have ever been exposed to in my life.
It starts off with college applications. No one warned me that i would be completely responsible for whether or not I got into college. I'm struggling left and right trying to finish applications so I can actually leave home and get into college. Then, I sit back and take a sigh of relief January 1st, because I'm done and now all i have to do is wait. Nope! Not the case. I get letters from all over saying that most of my applications are not complete because my recommendations and transcripts have not made it there yet. And then my mom's breathing down my neck because she says that it's all my fault that my counselor didn't send my stuff. I got a scholarship to one college, but it's not nearly enough to cover full tuition. I have to find other sources of money to pay for college.
School doesn't make it any better. I've still got tons of work from teachers who are trying to prepare us for college. And it's make or break this year. i am one-hundredth of a point away from losing salutatorian position, so I keep hearing everyone say "You're not doing your best" in each ear. And the work just keeps piling up.
Maybe it's just me worrying about the future, though.

What i want to know is if anyone's senior year was ever as stressful as this? Did you have to do all this crap too, or was it just as easy as pie for you? And did you ever get over that feeling of stress involved with going to college?

Senior year can be stressful on some people for sure. I can probably make you feel better about yourself, though.

My senior year of high school I took 15 classes. 8 one semester, and 7 the other. Three of those each semester were college classes. That year I also had serious family issues going on, so I got no help from my family with college apps, etc. Luckily I only wanted to apply to one college which I knew I'd get into, so I was never worried. I never have understood why people apply to more than one college, but maybe that's just me.

Getting letters of rec, etc. is a pain in the ass, but just try to stay calm. Make sure you gently, and kindly, bug the living shit out of the people you asked to do them or they'll forget and won't send them in. Really, that's what life is after high school. Learning how to kindly, and gently, bug the living shit out of people so they do what they're supposed to.

Yugiohlover73: If you haven't already, check out Home - FAFSA on the Web-Federal Student Aid, it's where you can apply for federal school loans. Of course, you should try to get as many grants and scholarships as you can first, but loans are pretty much the way to go to cover the rest of your tuition.

Yeah, that. ^^^ It is a pain and you will need to do it as soon as possible, but as far as I know it's the best student loan you're going to get.

Your feelings are normal.

Just take one step at a time. That's an important skill to have as unlike school, things in the real world never end (when compared to getting assignments done) and that's a huge hit in the head that makes it seem very overwhelming.

Make a list of plans of what you want to do and prioritise such as preferences for universities/college, courses and even jobs and other options if the first couple of things backfired.

A lot of the stress will be reduced once you get to that then it'll just be like any year of school that consists of exams and assignments.

I thought senior year was a piece of cake. but then I didn't have to worry about transcripts and secondary education until may of my senior year. University/ college isn't as big of a deal in Canada as it is in the states.

I had a total of 9 classes between both sems and 4 of them were electives. I never made a huge deal out of high school. I did my work, had a blast and felt good about it.

After high school I went to a 'college' of sorts, but it was a speed program for Computer Design and New Media. Essentially 2 years of schooling crammed into one. Getting in was pretty easy. I just sent in my transcripts and a recommendation from my senior year Computer Arts teacher.
After I was done I figured it wasn't even what I wanted to do with my life. Now I want to go to school to be a florist.


Life is way to short to stress about it. Like Pa-chinko said. Make a list of the schools you want to go to, the courses you want to take, what you want to end up doing. Make back up plans of other things you'd like to do. But stay calm. You can always change your mind later. Nothing is set in stone.

I had a terrible time in Senior year. What I did was:

1. Skipped school for a day, parked at a cafe, and did all my homework that missing and all that.

2. Leveled with my favorite teacher about my problems in getting my transcripts sent. She gave me a pass, and I sat in their office and refused to leave until I witnessed them sending all the information that needed to be sent out. It took my favorite class and my study hall, but it got done.

Guidance counselors are supposed to be there to help, but I've never had good luck with them.

Also, don't panic about getting into college! Community colleges have rolling admissions, and you can get in even at the last minute. That way you can get a few of your general education credits done in a lower pressure environment.

Thanks a lot for this advice. It actually came in handy because my teacher told me earlier today that he forgot because I forgot to remind him. Luckily, I asked more reliable teachers and they sent it in. Now I'm just waiting on my official letters.

---------- Post added 02-28-2013 at 06:41 PM ----------

You've got the same problem as me, right on the dot. My counselor is known for not doing her job. Most of everybody who asks her to do things end up having to talk to the principal because she won't do them or won't do them on time.

One time, she actually looked at something a student requested, said "I'm not doing that" and threw it away. Needless to say, she and my mom have problems about her jeopardizing my chances.

Yeah, keep on it and don't be afraid to go over her head. I was turned down for a prestigious music school because my transcripts didn't get in by the deadline- after flying cross-country for the audition.

I tore the counselor up, the head counselor up, and two principles before I got the grovelling apology that I wanted.

No opera for me. :-/ Everything for a reason though, I guess.

First of all take a deep breath. Slow down, and take things as they come. Getting prepared to go to college is really hard. If you need help, I'm sure there are people either at your high school, or a local college you are looking to go to who would help you.

My senior year of high school was all about my boyfriend, baby that I was pregnant with, trying to just get by to graduate and my mom having breast cancer. I went through the college application process for our local college, but ended up having to drop out before I even started due to the baby. That summer I got married and had the baby in the fall. This was all in 2006.

I just started back to college this fall for the second time. (fall 2012) It can be rough, frustrating and confusing as to what to do and what to get turned in. I don't really have any help from my parents either and had to figure it out on my own. My best advice is to find someone in like the Financial Aide office of the college you are looking to attend, and see if they will help you get things straighten out. Good Luck! If you need any help, I'd love to try and help you.