For seniors, our year will inevitably end up in scrapbooks, photo albums, and picture frames. College decisions, adapting to impending change, and juggling classes are just a few of the challenges that seniors face. The year constantly presents itself as a balance between relishing in the last year of high school and dealing with the unexpected. On a daily basis, seniors are faced with difficult decisions. So how do you cope? We asked Lourdes seniors this same question.
Why Is Senior Year So Stressful?
“We generally find that senior year tends to be the most stressful for most students, especially the first semester,” said Director of School Counseling Vanessa Rodriguez. “So we try to do everything we can as counselors to provide guidance and comfort in all the madness.”
A 2025 “Senior Stress Survey” by College Data revealed that stress affects high school seniors mentally and emotionally the most, over other areas like physically, socially, or academically. Often, what seniors find stressful is not just the applications or schoolwork alone, but the culmination of all their obligations over time. Even on the day to day, it can be overwhelming. An average senior’s day looks something like this: around a 6 a.m wake-up, a packed AP and Honors schedule from 7:25 to 2:30, then extracurriculars in and out of school, ranging from student leadership to service projects to sports games or practice. Most don’t actually get home until much later, when they finally have some time before bed to work on applications or scholarships.
“To be honest, this is the hardest my classes have been during my time at Lourdes,” said Executive Board President Georgette Galvez-Cuesta. “It’s been overwhelming to balance college applications, classes, EB work, softball, and more.”
Even after the first semester is through, and the majority of applications are in, waiting for decisions takes over most of the anxiety left by application season. It’s easy to assume the worst when a single thing goes wrong. You’ll often find seniors stressing in the hallways about their deferrals and grades for mid-year transcripts. It often feels like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop at any moment, whether it’s a college decision or a bad grade. Most seniors reported that they often turned to friends the most for help with stress. But still, about 13% said they confided in no one.
Although it all seems endless, it never is. It can be difficult to gain perspective, especially with something as big as college. The future looms large, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any smaller. But there’s always a way to refocus, and let the giant of college and beyond affect you a little less.
Stress & Procrastination
One major way to reduce stress is by limiting its one major contributor, procrastination. Many psychologists agree that the relationship between stress and procrastination is cyclical. You often start procrastinating under the assumption that it delays stress. But ultimately, the more you procrastinate the more stressed you become. The truth is, delaying your work doesn’t get rid of any anxiety, it simply adds to a growing pile of it that only gets thrown away when you finally stop procrastinating– if you ever do.
“I find it’s easier to procrastinate on things like scholarships more than applications,” said senior Ella Linares. “Sometimes, when it’s optional, it’s easier to delay.”
Even if you’re not a chronic procrastinator, it can be easy to fall into after delaying your work one too many times. The good news, though, is that there’s always a way out and back into an organized routine.
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- Make a plan. Write down reminders, say them aloud, or create a calendar. You don’t have to rely on your stressed and overcrowded brain to know everything you need to do at all times.
- Compartmentalize. Every aspect of your life doesn’t have to run at full speed all time. School, friends, and extracurricular activities should all happen on their own time; try to avoid overlap.
- Find YOUR motivation. Don’t be discouraged if the will to do the work doesn’t come organically, it just means you’ll have to put in a little more effort to get the results you want. So, create your own incentives, plans, and reasons.
Diagnosis: Senioritis
Of course, the most likely reason why senior year can become difficult is a lack of motivation after applications and decisions are through. It can be difficult to see past the few arduous months before graduation. This is known as “seniorities”, a fictional term used to describe how most seniors tend to feel towards the end of their last year.
Yet, a lesser known symptom of senioritis is persistent dread regarding whatever comes after graduation, which remains for most a complete mystery for the majority of the year.
“As someone who is going out of state for college, I’m nervous for what comes after, so I’m definitely soaking in all the time left with my friends,” said Galvez-Cuesta.
According to College Data, some of the most popular methods for easing stress were seeking advice from mentors or guardians, listening to music, and staying socially connected. If you’re not comfortable confiding in someone, find other outlets. Ones that let you release some of that stress.
Sometimes, it can be helpful to look towards the future instead of shying away from it. Think about what you have to look forward to, find something to strive for. Look at the rest of the year as an opportunity, an incentive, a reward for all your hard work. Worry about the future a little, but remember to live in the moment, because you’ll never get these days back again.
So, when we get around to framing these memories at the end of the year, don’t forget to hold on to those that never made it to the yearbook. All the little days in between, and every moment that led you to graduation and beyond.
