The end of the school year is an exciting time, but it also brings a lot of stress with testing, graduation, and just losing motivation to keep up with school. Freshmen face the hard transition into high school; sophomores are considered to be going through “sophomore slump;” juniors are facing strenuous classes and preparing for college applications; and, obviously, “senioritis” is killing out any motivation left for seniors. It’s well known that upperclassmen have demanding schedules and experience burnout, but underclassmans’ struggles usually go unacknowledged.
Freshmen
Freshmen are often overlooked considering they have the easier classes, less APs, and are still easing into the high school workload. Even though they might have it easier than other grade levels, it’s hard to adjust to high school level courses, balance school sports, and navigate new friend groups.
“I feel intense emotions that seem to drastically bring my morale down,” freshman Ramon Joyner said.
Learning to balance school alongside extracurriculars can introduce a lot of stress, especially in comparison to middle school where there typically aren’t as many priorities.
Over time, students can start to adjust to this lifestyle. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the work and commitments, but simple changes can go a long way. This could look like having a planner, setting reminders, and following a routine so nothing comes up unexpectedly. It’s much easier to handle tight schedules by being prepared and knowing what you’re doing.
Sophomore
Sophomores’ burnouts often get ignored as well because they typically have easier course loads and aren’t stressing about where to apply to college. However, many sophomores fall victim to the “sophomore slump.” Mid-year motivation plummets and the school year seems endless.
Sophomore Nadia Fischer has experienced numerous times having to cancel plans with her friends to make time for her school work. Because of the toll schoolwork has taken on social lives, it often feels like students are drowning and don’t have an outlet to relieve stress. While school might feel like it’s your whole life, it’s important to take breaks and not overwork yourself.
“I’ll get to sleep or go on my phone or take a walk,” sophomore Heidi Staab said.
These breaks can consist of anything to give your brain a break, which will also help focus when returning back to the task.
Aside from the work, friendship struggles can add to preexisting stress.
“Everyone was, like, good friends,” Staab said. “And then this year’s like weird.”
This can distract students and add additional stress. It is normal for friends to come and go, but the best way to handle that is to maturely eliminate unnecessary drama. Drama can feel like the biggest issue in the world, so it’s best to take a step back and focus on stronger friendships and your own goals.
Junior
Junior year is known to be the hardest year of high school with lots of pressure surrounding college applications, AP exams, and SATs. College applications bring a lot of stress because students have to figure out where they belong academically, athletically, and socially. Money and location also are factors to consider. It’s a daunting task to commit to a school that you will be attending for the next four years of your life.
Juniors typically enroll in a number of AP classes, which are a step-up in terms of course load, test difficulty, and stress since colleges look closely at the scores on these exams. The SAT and ACT are another contributing factor to the stress juniors deal with. These tests typically require months of prep and carry a lot of weight since many colleges require applicants to submit these scores. Students often take these tests a number of times in order to receive the highest possible score and stand out to college admissions.
“Colleges made each test score hold more weight because you realize how important your grades are, but it also made studying and seeing your work pay off feel even more satisfying,” junior Daniel Schoennauer said.
Senior
Seniors are known to struggle with burnout, especially throughout the second semester. It’s hard to stay motivated when you already know where you are going to college and have been working hard for the past three years.
“’Cause you go on winter break, and like you’re already committed, so it’s like, what’s the point?” senior Haylie Walker said.
With the year ending, there are AP exams that can be important for colleges and finals to end the year strongly, but, at the same time, there’s a lot of festivities to lean into to end well. Balancing academics while enjoying your last year is difficult but worth it. Additionally, as athletes, it’s important to prioritize your wellbeing so you can end the year successfully and contribute positively to the team.
With college coming up, it can be difficult for seniors to figure out their plans, especially with rooming and finances. A way that has been increasingly popular for freshmen to meet is through the classes’ decision page.
Senior Adriana Young has started connecting with people, making the process easier to meet new people. Through the page on social media, there are descriptions of the students along with pictures making it easy to meet people with similar interests and goals as you.
“I think some parts were stressful because, like, a lot of people weren’t answering in the beginning,” Young said.
Although it can be overwhelming trying to meet the right people, making sure you’re all set to go off to college, it’s very rewarding in the end, so it’s important to take your time and enjoy all these parts of the experience.
