If you’re a member of the Class of 2019, you have probably heard teachers, parents and peers comfort you with the following statement: “Junior year is the worst year of high school, but do not worry senior year is a breeze. It gets better.”

When I entered my senior year, I approached my fourth and final year of high school with the mindset that my senior year will be infinitely easier and less stressful than the previous year. Now, as a second semester senior, I reflect upon my first semester of senior year as truthfully the most stressful period in all of high school.

For me, my first three years of high school went by in the blink of an eye, and the first semester of senior year was no different. My peers and teachers persistently reminded me to cherish my final year of high school, and as a result an abundance of high expectations surrounded my senior year to be the “best year ever.” All the while, I was trying to absorb every second of my last green day, last football game and the all the rests of the “lasts” in my senior year. While senior year is filled with an endless lists of “the last time you will ever ____,” senior year also marks the first time students are really expected to start navigating “the future.” With college applications in full swing, students have to start making decisions on the not-so-distant future even if they’re not ready. As such, I am here to tell you what the first semester of senior year is really about, and prepare you for any challenges you might face.

First of all, the argument that junior year is the hardest year because of the SATs and ACTs should be reevaluated. In August and September of my senior year, I was still taking standardized tests. The stress of junior year standardized test taking was just as present, if not more intense because of the time crunch, during my senior year. If your junior year test scores were not sufficient for scholarship benchmarks or align with the average scores of your dream school, do not panic. While you do have time to retake tests senior year, do not expect the tests to be any less stressful or daunting than they were junior year.

Additionally, the notion that grades do not matter during senior year is simply not true. Many schools require you to submit your first semester grades and many scholarships are contingent on senior year grades. Finally, colleges will require you to submit a final grade report, and some colleges can, and will, recesend your acceptance if your grades significantly drop.

On the topic of grades, senior year classes are no walk in the park. This year, although I am on senior schedule, I am still taking 6 fully weighted classes. Rather than my academic course load lightening after junior year, my coursework has become even more demanding. Managing a heavy course load on top of college essays is not easy. Start early, manage your time well and do NOT let senioritis hit too early.

As a senior, you will be expected to be a leader. Presumably, you might have spent the past three years involving yourself in a variety of extra curricular activities. Due to your experience and status as a senior, you will be expected to elevate your role and activism in each club. Yet, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Balancing leadership roles in extracurricular activities will require lots of hard work, so do not be fooled by the notion that senior year will be a breeze.

In conclusion, senior year is bittersweet. As a senior you are finally at the top of the totem pole, securing you a spot at the bottom of the student section and extra senior exclusive privileges. Yet, the year is characterized by an exciting year of bittersweet “lasts” as the responsibilities and demands of college and adulthood approach. It is easy to fall victim to the assumption that senior year will be the easiest year of high school before the responsibilities of college set in. As someone who just finished her last first semester of high school, I urge you to go into senior year mindful of the challenges ahead and prepare for a challenging and rewarding year.