While your final year of high school should be a celebration in an ideal world, for students everywhere, it can feel more like a gaze into a gaping abyss. 

From the pressures of finishing out with strong grades to picking the perfect college or career path to even deciding what you’re going to have for dinner tonight, there is an overwhelming amount of decisions to make regarding your future before you even turn eighteen.

 Friendships are put to the test, the teachers you need are busier than ever, and you’re worried about whether or not your prom attire is fashion-forward or too cliche. Not to mention, you’ve got a severe case of senioritis. But the bigger diagnosis to worry about is the dreaded senior stress.

According to CollegeData.com, applying to colleges accounts for 37% of senior stress, while managing senior year workload and getting accepted into colleges tie at 21%, and paying for college rolls in at 16% with standardized testing at 4%. 

Senior Marissa Dipiero voiced her senior year experience and facing the pressures of life after high school.

“All that college stuff wasn’t necessarily hard but a lot. Thinking of future expenses of college and how I was going to go about it was my least favorite [of senior year.]”

She mentions that while her family was her main support system in coming to a decision, she still felt a bit of the weight of their hopes.

 “My family definitely wants the best for me and encouraged me to have an idea about what I want to do. I didn't feel too pressured but I knew my parents definitely wanted me to go to college,” she said.

Dipiero reveals that the most pressure she faced her senior year was actually from herself.

“It was more conflicting between myself back and forth about what I wanted to do and if I actually wanted to go to college. These thoughts came from time to time but I did decide to go to college,” she said.

School is never easy, especially when it's your last year of high school, but finding shelter in your support systems, considering your options carefully and thoughtfully, and most of all, being patient with yourself, are great ways to combat senior stress. 

With a clear mind, a resourceful attitude, and a tidy to-do list, you can conquer the challenges of senior year and graduate in style.