The "Senior Slide"

Throughout my senior year I had been attempting to figure out what I plan to do post high school. Aside from just school work and athletics, I filled out the FAFSA, applied to quite a few colleges, and even visited one or two. I guess with all that going on, you could say I was pretty busy.  My plan was/is to go to college, and of course that means extra work for me! (yay)

Now as many of you know (at least you should if you’ve read literally any of my blogs) I am a huge PROCRASTINATOR!! With that being said, even though I have applied to a few colleges I still have not decided where I plan to go. This is such a big decision for me and I am EXTREMELY BAD with decisions. Each time I feel as though I am close to a choice, I get a new piece of mail that just tips the balance, and I am yet again, UNSURE.

With the CDC and the states closing lots of things down, I figured I would have plenty of time to compare my choices, narrow everything down, and pick a college, BUT boy was I WRONG. I work more now than I did when actual school was a thing and I have just as much homework (if not more)!!!

I was hoping to have decided by now, but when I think about it, I am more unsure than ever. When reading about COVID – 19, some places say that colleges and even high schools are unsure about when schools will open back up, meaning, will I even have a first semester of college?? This makes a big impact to my decision!

Each time I read something new, a bunch of little questions enter my head: will I have a first semester? How do I pick a college now, especially when I can’t visit them to know if I like it? How will I commit to a college? How will orientation and class registration go? (I know it’ll be online or through a video call, but that’s not the same)

If anybody has any recommendations for me, it would be MUCH APPRECIATED!

And for my closing, I chose to add a funny/relatable Tik Tok for my fellow classmates of 2020 🙂

https://vm.tiktok.com/7LVWr7/

Please click on it, you won’t regret it!

Aside from all that I have previous complained about relating to my senior year, it had been going relatively smooth. That is until March: School Shut Downs Across the Country due to COVID-19. (Lovely isn’t it? Your favorite dream come true? WRONG)

The Coronavirus is ruining what was supposed to be the best year of my high school career.

If you were to tell me this is how my senior year would’ve gone down, I would’ve laughed in your face and said something along the lines of “yeah right, funny.” (probably in a sarcastic tone too)

            I never would’ve thought that the last year of my high school would consist of online classes and struggling to get through some of my classes. I never would’ve guessed that rather than talking face-to-face to my teachers I would have to email them and hope for a response on a “regular” school day. There’s no way I would have believed you if you told me I would be receiving school lunches from a few staff personnel dropping a bag off at the end of my drive way.

This “Corona-cation” as many are calling it is anything but a vacation. Throughout these past two weeks, my class schedule has stayed the same, if not drop, however, I feel as though some of the classes that I am in have increased the case load. This is difficult to deal with. I talk with many of my friends and they all say how their teachers are “removing difficult assignments” or “lessening the caseload.” This is frustrating taking into consideration that everybody is dealing with the same exact thing: the COVID-19 outbreak. I really don’t understand how some can increase caseload difficulty and others can decrease difficulty when we are all going through the same struggles. I REALLY WISH ALL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS WOULD BE ON THE SAME PAGE and I WISH THAT EACH AND EVERY COLLEGE PROFESSOR WOULD DO THE SAME

As the year continues on, I feel as though my to-do list grows longer and longer. I have finally begun to cross items off the list, but new ones keep popping up. As of now, my list consists of mostly: numerous homework assignments, picking a college to commit too, saving money (so that basically means work as much as possible), and of course graduation planning.

With graduation right around the corner I have begun the graduation planning process. For me personally, that means: deciding on a graduation invite design (this is difficult since I’m indecisive), finding each and every single address of all my family members (so they can get an invite), picking a side for my party meal, cleaning where my party will be, and of course searching for photos to complete photo boards, a slide show, or scrapbooks (I haven’t decided which one I plan to do yet)

Of the previously stated, I am most concerned about finding addresses of family members and searching for photos.

 You would think that since I am the third child in my family that my parents would already have this list written down somewhere, since they’ve already been through this, right? Well, wrong. My mother thinks she has the list on her computer, but she’ll never find it on there. The other struggle with the addresses, if we do by chance find them, my siblings have been graduated for five and six years, and my family seems to move, a lot. So, if I do find them, I am still going to have to contact many family members just to get their address.

Now, for finding photos. My family moved a few years ago and within those couple of years we’ve had some pretty large bumps in the road. With that being said, we still aren’t quite sure where we put things such as scrapbooks and baby photos. For somebody in need of photos for their graduation party, this is a tad bit stressful. I should really do some deep digging at home, but I don’t really have the time to do that. I really need to get my life together.

As many of us have experienced, school can be pretty stressful (no doubt about it). However, senior year just seems to hit you a little differently. Who knows, maybe I’m the only one that is seeming to feel this way, but I am definitely more stressed than usual.

Let’s be honest, throughout the last year of your high school career, you have just a tad more pressure on you than normal. You have all of the academic pressure on you, as well as extra-curriculars and GRADUATION. Now, if I’m being truly honest here, I wish I could just skip ahead to the second week in May, hammer out some finals and be done! But, it’s not quite that easy and I couldn’t be that lucky.

From this day until graduation, just 82 days, I feel that I have so many things on my plate that I can’t seem to focus. For starters, I still haven’t picked which college I plan to attend. I have narrowed it down to two or three, but I’m just so indecisive that I can’t pick! It’s starting to get to a point where I narrow it down to two and just flip a coin. (please don’t judge me for this)

The next stressful thing on my mind is BAND.

 We have the Large Group Contest on March 10^th, we are performing pieces that are quite difficult, especially for a small band of 22.

We are competing in Pep Band Playoffs on March 20^th. This is very important, we have won quite a few times in the past, but now the goal of every other team is to beat us. Not only that, but we are combining with our middle schoolers, who will make up approximately half of the band.

I personally am also involved in a Percussion Ensemble, competing on March 31^st. This means learning another piece of music, in my free time, as well as finding time to practice it with the other groups of the ensemble.

My taunting spring decision. Work vs. Track

Basketball will be finishing up here shortly, so that means another athletic season is coming. I have been involved in track in the past, but due to this being my senior year, I haven’t decided if I want to join. If I don’t join the team, I plan to work a few days a week and start saving a little money. But, if I do join, I will have practice every day after school, until meets begin. When meets begin I will have either have practice after school, or a meet, where I typically wouldn’t get home at a decent time.  LOOK AT THAT, ANOTHER DECISION THAT I DON’T WANT TO MAKE!

And just to remind you, that’s only two of the many things on my mind.

As the school year continues, many students are excited for summer and excited for the school year to come to an end. The only kids who aren’t excited are the poor students who have to come back for the dreaded summer school. 

As the year drifts on, day by day, you may be able to notice that even the teachers are excited and counting down the days for summer. As a matter of fact, some of your teachers may be looking forward to that last day even more than you are. 

However, as a senior, with each and every day passing by, I become more and more stressed. The stress comes in many forms, although I will only be discussing two: scholarships and picking college to attend.

Scholarships:

As a person who plans to attend college, I am definitely worried about the financial struggles. This means working every chance I have to save up, and of course filling out NUMEROUS scholarships. However, finding scholarships in a small town area can be quite difficult. Whether you just can’t seem to find scholarships with requirements that fit you or you haven’t decided on your post high school education, and you don’t know which scholarships you can apply for. 

These factors are DEFINITELY stressful and just add to your already stressful senior  year.

College:

Now, if you plan to attend college, it can just add on to your senior year struggle. Deciding on where to go to college is kind of a big deal.  I mean, you do plan on spending at least a couple years of your life there. So just how exactly do you make that big decision?? (I’m being serious, I don’t know how and I need help.) 

Don’t get me wrong I have done the whole applying part, application after application, essay after essay. Now, all I have is a mailbox full of letters from numerous different colleges saying “pick me!” I just don’t know what to do!!  Do I stay close to home? Do I go far away? Do I take a gap year and work? 

I could really use some help this senior year. 

Senioritis. Will we ever find a cure? Or will we forever be hopeless and have to “just keep swimming?”

Have any of you ever wondered if you could break away from the awfulness of Senioritis? (Well, I mean, not all of it is awful, the naps aren’t bad.” If you have ever considered finding a “cure” for Senioritis, I may just have what you’re looking for: solutions to lessen your difficulties and one final cure.

Solution 1:

Treat yourself, really, consider it.

Yes, you read that right. Whether it’s something stupid like buying yourself an ice cream cone or purchasing the shoes you’ve been eying of for a month or so. DO IT. TREAT YO’SELF. No shame. You deserve it.

Solution 2:

Start a Countdown.

Here at Clayton, as of today, Thursday, December 5^th, we are down to 163 days. (163 days too many).

Begin a “Senior Countdown”. Whether you include all days or just school days, have fun with it! It doesn’t have to be the fanciest thing ever, just something to keep you motivated, maybe if that is still even possible. Add some fun colors, cool fonts, anything you’d like! You could always just download an app and input your graduation date. That way you always have it on you, just a few clicks and you know the countdown!

Solution 3:

Now, I know this one is connected with the first solution, (kinda), but it’s still applicable!

Take a day for yourself or spend it with friends.

Seriously, take a random day and make it fun. Whether you go to the mall, the movies, the arcade, an amusement park, or even just out to eat at a restaurant, one you typically don’t go to. This is to ease your mind and clear it out a little bit. It is mean to change up your scenery. I mean, who isn’t sick of seeing bring walls and tiled floors?!?

Solution 4:

Celebrate the small victories!

Whether it be getting a scholarship you applied for, finishing that LAST assignment you needed to get in, or finishing your finals, YOU NEED TO CELEBRATE. All of this means you are just one step closer to receiving your diploma!!

The CURE:

Last and most important. GRADUATION

The receiving of your diploma may be the one and only true cure to Senioritis.

How many of you have heard of the term “Senioritis”? 

Senioritis can be defined as: “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” Although Google states that it is a “supposed affliction” I can personally confirm that it is completely real. 

Now I’m sure many of you feel as if you are good students, but how many of you feel as if Senioritis has set it? I know for myself, it definitely has, and it set in quite a bit before the start of my senior year. This may be so, but, it has definitely progressed and become worse during our approximated 65 days of school, give or take. 

Now, let us really put this into perspective. 

Are you being affected by Senioritis? Are your friends? If so, how many, what “symptoms” are being shown? I know that here, in Clayton, a majority of the senior class is being affected. Almost all of my fellow classmates wear comfy clothes, such as sweatpants, hoodies  and comfy shoes, to school. EVERYDAY. I mean who owns that many pairs of sweats? How often do they do laundry? Many of us binge Netflix, during school of course, we avoid all responsibilities associated with school, and last, but not least we all LOVE to nap, typically in school. I myself am affected by the last one, but come on who wouldn’t take a nap in a quiet library on a super comfy chair?? I know I’m not the only!!

Let me provide you with a very accurate representation of me as soon as I sit down on “my chair” in the library ↓

A high number of students in my class have really been affected by one symptom in particular, and that is “PROCRASTINATION”. Lots of us always end up waiting until the very last minute to do anything: write an essay, finish an assignment, finish a rough draft, handing in parent signatures, starting project, etc. A very great example of procrastination is me, and this blog post. It’s 5:00 P.M., I’m on a bus, headed to a basketball game and I just started my blog post. I mean, I knew what I wanted to talk about, but still, I didn’t really need to wait until the last minute to finish it.  

I personally didn’t know what to expect from my senior year. Last year I had a few senior friends, so I saw the ins and outs of what it was like to be “on top” of the school ladder, but you can’t really understand the full meaning of senior year until you yourself are a senior. I started off senior year with a “GIT ER DONE” attitude, meaning I was going to be ready for anything that came my way: scholarships, college applications, application essays, and everything else that came with it. However, that lasted a whole two weeks. I knew senior years was going to be difficult, but I didn’t realize how much it was actually going to drain me. I am physically broken from sleep deprivation, mentally drained, and my emotional state is barely intact.

For me, and my sanity, there was only one answer: SENIOR SLIDING

Lots of people talk about how senior year is one of the best years of your high school career, but I mean, let’s be honest you can’t really enjoy something like that when all you’re thinking about is getting out and being done with it. Senior students spend half their days sitting around doing absolutely nothing, leaving early to go to work, or just not even showing up to school, because I mean how much do you actually learn during your senior year?

As a freshman or sophomore, how many of you had ever heard the upper classman talking about the infamous “senior slide”? The talk of easy or no classes, coming in late, leaving early, or just skipping school in general. For myself, I had heard a lot, even had a couple of friends “participate” in it. They had chosen to take classes under their academic capabilities, by quite a bit. Some had missed school due to being sick or not feeling well, rather they had just felt like staying home and not dealing with school for the day.  But I mean, let’s be honest, how many seniors do you know actually want to be in school? I have a feeling that a majority of the seniors in my class, myself included, would rather being doing anything else, and I mean anything.

Hello all!! My name is Isabelle Magnuson, Izzie for short. I am a senior here at Clayton High School. I am a very involved student, both academically and athletically. My home life is very effected by my school life, and I am definitely starting to feel that!