The Senior Experience

Juniors! Feeling anxious or uncertain about your Senior year? Stressing over college applications, career decisions, or just not feeling ready to graduate? You aren’t alone in this, no matter how much you believe your peers are ahead of you; things may not be as they seem.

I surveyed Seniors anonymously across Kenmore West to get insight into our student body and how they’re feeling, knowing they’re graduating this school year.

Students all express the idea of beginning your college journey as soon as possible if you plan on pursuing a higher education after graduation. One senior explicitly states not to be afraid of the ‘college stuff,’ and others follow this sentiment by mentioning the application process. This is crucial, knowing the SUNY free application week just came to a close this week. According to another student, the applications may be tedious but are worth the time. 

In the case of the financial burden of college, students describe feeling stressed with the ever-changing climate regarding financial aid. Along with the weight of still keeping up with school throughout the year, Seniors struggle to maintain a balance between their personal lives, work, and their education all in a single year. However, this isn’t news. Juniors can feel the calm before the storm with the PSAT, as well as the frequent college visits this month and the unrelenting talks of life after high school.

On the other hand, Seniors took a look back on their high school experience so far and recounted fond memories made in the years they’ve spent at West. One student voiced their appreciation for the annual West Fests, having the last day of school be remembered as having fun with friends. Some recalled their first Homecoming and spoke of their memories made there as well as during their Proms. Others brought up their favorite classes and how they’ve made close friends throughout their time here.

 Despite all of their accomplishments and pleasant recollections, Seniors expressed their dissatisfaction with missed opportunities. For example, someone recommended taking the IB program to benefit their education because they passed on the chance to join. A few of the students also stated they lamented not being more involved with school activities like clubs, sports, or other programs. The notion being they felt it was now too late to be as engaged as they’d wished, with this being their last year. Almost everyone interviewed said they regretted procrastinating their school work the most, which is a huge problem that a majority of students face when it comes to the workload that’s expected with high school.

All of the information gathered here was from students like you! It may be hard now, but whatever you choose to do with your future, you’ll look back on your time at Kenmore West and know it would have been worth the struggle. 

 A follow-up interview will be conducted in the future to examine any changes in the attitude presented by the Seniors in the Class of 2026.