As a senior, preparing for college and university can be stressful. There’s more to it than just applying and getting accepted; there is a whole host of things that comes along with it.

There are applications themselves, which take a great deal of time and focus; there is writing the college essay, and finding a good topic for it can be tricky; there is the financial pressures with taking loans, applying for scholarships, and getting good grades to qualify for more scholarships; testing with SATs and ACTs; Xello; guidance councilors; figuring out everything for sports (if you continue on with them); choosing what major you want to focus on the rest of your adult life; picking the right school that fits; figuring out your boarding (on campus or off campus); making sure you can take care of yourself once you’re there; having a grad party (if you choose).

Dealing with everyone asking you what you are going into, where you’re going, and if you’ve gotten accepted can also be very stressful. Finding good days to visit schools (especially in a pandemic), as well as so many other things.

On top of this there is also maintaining regular life, school, sports, friends, holding a job, and still leaving time in there for fun and happy memories while navigating the possibilities and hopes of your future. It’s an exciting time but stressful, with many pressures, so next time you see a tired senior that you think is just slacking off, they might be, but they might just be stressed. And that’s okay. Yet these things should all be acknowledged when thinking about the pressures upon kids when preparing for college. A lot of it isn’t even thought about, but they are all very real stressors in a junior and mainly senior’s day.