Grizzly Gazette: Being a senior is...stressful!

Krystal Wayne is a regular columnist for the Grizzly Gazette's Opinion page. "Reflections of a senior" column
about how it feels to be a senior about
to graduate. Feel free to tell us your own
reflections by writing a letter to the editor.

Being a senior is...stressful!
Krystal Wayne | 2/28/08 | Opinion

etters are now flying in from colleges and scholarships. These letters contain sentences of acceptance or rejection. These letters determine the future of our seniors. So, we wait anxiously, breaking a cold sweat when the postman is five minutes behind schedule. When said letters arrive, we frantically tear the envelope open and scan the enclosed document. Either an excited scream of glee escapes our lips, or an exasperated, disappointed sigh surfaces. This experience is stressful.

For seniors, at this time, there are two types of stress: the stress that accumulates while waiting for the letters, and the stress that spontaneously erupts as the realization that you received a letter of rejection.

Many seniors, at the moment, are accumulating stress because they are awaiting responses from their many applications. Frantic questions of “What if I did not get in?” or “How will I go to college if I did not get the scholarship?” raid the senior’s mind. We get stressed out as each day passes by without recognition or closure, wondering why on Earth it is taking so long.

Secondly, we have the seniors that have received their news, and they do not like it very much. I just received news on a scholarship that could make or break my college life. Unfortunately, I received news that I did not get the scholarship. My initial reaction- “Now how do I pay for college?” Many seniors are getting stressed out at this question. They are scurrying to make last minute arrangements to ensure they can attend the college they want to, trying to avoid the almost inevitable Porterville College. The risk of losing the future of our dreams stresses every senior out.

Unfortunately, all this stress takes its toll. Prolonged stress can lead to a disabled or impaired immune system, making seniors susceptible to many sicknesses: the flu, bronchitis, or the stomach flu (senioritis is not included). Prolonged stress can also exhaust a senior, giving seniors very much difficulty in keeping their already under the microscope grades. Especially since it is second semester, there is even greater stress on the seniors to keep up the impeccable transcript and making sure all the money is in the bank and ready for tuitions.

My conclusion is that seniors need to take it easy, do not put so much stress on a tiny little piece of paper. Remember that there are always other options in life, even if they are not your primary one!

Please keep in mind that this is a high school newspaper. Please make your responses professional and appropriate. Any comments deemed inappropriate will not be posted.

Name:
E-mail:
Subject:

Name: Adrian
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 12:19 pm
Subject: Being a senior is...stressful!

I agree being a senior is a lot of stress. It’s a lot of stress because your senior year is the year that you decide what you’re [going to] do with the rest of your life. That’s the year that you decide where you’re [going to] work, if you’re [going to] go to college, or just free load off your parents. Then people start getting [senioritis]. That’s another thing that makes people stress out a lot. And that’s what makes [people want to] drop out and become a high school drop out.

Name: D. Garcia
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 12:12 pm
Subject: Being a senior is...stressful!

Yeah, I think that being a senior is stressful, but not because of the letters from colleges. There are other things to worry about, like graduating from high school. We have to make sure that we get all our credits and make sure our attendance is caught up. Not everyone cares about going to big colleges or getting accepted. Yeah, it would be nice, I guess, but P.C. is right here, so why get all stressed over getting accepted into universities? Right now all that really matters to me is graduating.

Name: D. Torres
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 12:06 pm
Subject: Being a senior is...stressful!

Being a senior is stressful. But for most seniors, there's way more things to worry about. For example: getting all your credits. We have to have all of our credits to graduate. And our attendance: we have to be at school 90% of the time. And for those seniors who have missed a lot and can't miss school anymore, it’s pretty stressful. For me, I have to worry about my credits and attendance before I worry about a letter from college. Getting my high diploma and being part of the graduation ceremony is what I'm stressing about.

home | news | opinion | literature | sports | entertainment
©2007 Grizzly Gazette | about us | gazette@grizzlygazette.net
Wal-Mart - Porterville Recorder - Sierra View District Hospital - Dr. Buettner
Woodard Homes - Perkos - AGR Contracting - Exchange Club of Porterville - Law Offices of Robert Krase - Zonta Club of Porterville - Porterville Breakfast Lions Club