After the endless hours of dedication to excelling in school and the rigorous work throughout the four years of high school, seniors look forward to their second semester. With graduation and college just around the corner, seniors begin to treat their last few months differently. 

The term “senioritis” becomes a reality as seniors slack on school work, as their college applications are mostly complete. Instead, seniors begin to think about prom, their last summer before going away, and celebrating all they accomplished thus far.

“Being a second semester senior changes a lot of things. Submitting all my college applications has lifted a weight off my shoulders,” said senior Shirley Hedvat. “My priorities shifted from college applications to spending more time with my friends, since we are all going to be in college next year.”

Many seniors are under the impression that their second semester would be less serious and look forward to partaking in senior traditions to make the most of their year. The idea of parting with friends they have known their whole lives to start a new chapter of their lives is painful. 

“I still feel obligated to do good for myself. My goal is to leave high school knowing I put effort and that I am proud of myself,” said senior Shelly Zur. “I am more relaxed and focusing more on myself, I am still stressed about college.”

Similarly, senior Alexa Nissim says, “I am looking forward to starting this new journey. I am definitely feeling more relaxed after the first semester of senior year. Although I am still focusing on my schoolwork, I am also trying to manage college decisions and my future.”

Before students know it, they will be looking back through yearbooks and attending a high school reunion, so regardless of the high school experience thus far, they feel it is important to make the best of these last few months together. 

“I feel that I am learning more to learn rather than for my grades because I am not stressing so much about the tests and being a second semester senior is great because of the feeling of being in college,” senior Gabby Paknoush said. “In the last couple of months I hope to prepare myself for the next step of my life; something bigger and better.”

There is still a lot high schoolers can get out of their last few months, finalizing valuable connections during this short time period. Students have the opportunity to focus on subjects they didn’t consider before, being guided by curiosity rather than grades. Moreover, seniors can use this time to apply to various scholarships. 

Some seniors who can only think about college can use their extra time planning how to make the rest of their year proactive. Who will you live with? What can you do to prepare for your first semester? Which courses do you want to take? How many classes do you want to take? The questions are endless, and it is a good idea to start considering all these questions early. This will help with time management skills. Additionally, college will be a new leaf and seniors have the opportunity to break bad habits and change their weaknesses to strengths. 

Being a second semester senior is a time of celebrating accomplishments, but it is also important to be smart about the future. Seniors have just a few months left together and should be taking advantage of the school’s resources and time together as they scatter around the world.