The end of senior year is approaching very quickly for many AHS students. With just over three months until graduation, seniors are reflecting on their high school careers and how they differed from their younger selves’ expectations.
Some seniors feel relieved for high school to come to an end or anxious about moving out and being on their own. But many feel both of these emotions, as well as nostalgia and reminiscence. It’s crazy to think how fast four years have gone by.
Freshmen at Arcata High are still so new to being in high school and don’t quite know what to expect as they continue through the years. Some seniors remember feeling very nervous freshman year and thinking how much older everyone else at school was. But now it’s hard to imagine those 14-year-olds being the same people we are today.
Freshman Ares Herr is excited for his senior year. He looks forward to having more opportunities and responsibilities as he progresses through high school.
“Hopefully I’ll have my driver’s license. But for school, hopefully, I’ll have some free periods because I want to get some of my classes done early. And I want to finish my language. Hopefully, I’m in a higher math grade,” Herr said.
The reality of being a senior can be very different from what freshman students expected. Being done with high school and moving into adulthood is something that many seniors are ready for.
“I love Humboldt. I love Arcata. It’s very near and dear to me. But kind of the energy that high school had, and I think it’s in reflection of Covid and how our political climate can be and the mixture of our school, I’m excited to get out,” senior Nova Baur said.
Students often hype up senior year to be exciting and super busy, but in reality, most seniors end up wanting things to be more relaxed.
“I imagined my senior year to be a little more glorious than it is,” Baur said. “But as a freshman, I had seen my sister go through her high school career and… I was like, ‘I’m gonna take all the APs and I’m gonna do all that.’ But then I got [to] senior year and was like no, I’m taking one AP, I’m not taking the test. I gave myself easy breezy classes, which I think was a great decision.”
Whether you are looking forward to graduation and starting a new phase of your life, or if you’re nervous about being on your own, it’s important to appreciate the remaining time that we have left of high school. We need to make the most of it.
