Senior year has officially begun. Cue the confetti cannons, college application stress, and every adult within a five-mile radius asking me, “So, where are you applying?”

Let me just say: senior year is weird. It feels like standing in two different worlds at once. On one hand, I’m still here in high school, sitting in the same desks I’ve sat in since freshman year. On the other hand, I’ve got Common App essays open in one tab and college admissions TikTok open in another, and suddenly every decision feels like it “defines my future.”

The First-Day Vibe Check

Walking into school on the first day as a senior is like walking into your favorite coffee shop and realizing you’re officially a “regular.” Everyone knows your face, you know the teachers’ quirks, and you’re not panicking about getting lost in the hallways. But you’re also painfully aware that the clock is ticking down.

Freshmen look like actual children. Sophomores are just happy not to be freshmen. Juniors are drowning (been there, survived that). And seniors? We’re oscillating between “this is our year, let’s go” and “oh no, what comes after this?”

The Classes

My schedule this year is a little bit insane, but let’s be real—when has it not been? Between APs, cross country, running NeuroClub, and DECA, I basically live in a permanent state of caffeination.

The funniest part about senior year classes is how everyone collectively adopts the mindset of, “Do I actually need to learn this? Or can I just vibe?” Except then you remember that grades still exist, colleges are watching, and you probably shouldn’t vibe your way through AP Calc.

The “Lasts”

Everyone warns you about the “lasts” of senior year. The last first day. The last pep rally. The last time you’ll stand in the lunch line complaining about how the pizza still tastes like cardboard.

I didn’t expect those moments to hit as hard as they do. Like, walking into my first cross country meet this season and realizing it’s the last time I’ll run those trails in a high school jersey? Yeah, not ready.

The “Nexts”

But senior year isn’t just about the lasts—it’s about the “nexts.” Next steps, next schools, next adventures. I’ve already made a color-coded spreadsheet of application deadlines (shoutout to Notion Calendar, the only thing holding my brain together), and honestly, that’s where most of my energy is going right now.

It’s exciting, but it’s also terrifying. One minute I’m daydreaming about walking around a college campus. The next, I’m panicking about whether my Common App essay makes me sound like a functioning human being or a robot who likes coffee and neuroscience.

Senior Privilege (Sort Of)

There is one undeniable perk of being a senior: we don’t care nearly as much. Not in a slacker way—just in a “we’ve seen it all” way. Fire drill during lunch? We don’t flinch. Pop quiz? Fine, we’ll survive. Freshmen drama? Absolutely not our problem.

It’s like the universe finally rewards you with a chill filter after three years of stress.

Where I’m At

So here’s where I am right now: standing at the start line of senior year, part excited, part overwhelmed, part “please let me nap.” I know this year is going to fly by. There will be breakdowns, there will be wins, there will be a lot of Starbucks runs.

And even though the “end” is looming, I don’t think it’s really the end. It’s just a transition. High school me might be wrapping up, but future me is just getting started.

Final Thought

If junior year was about survival, senior year feels like standing on a cliff: scary, yes—but also kind of exhilarating.

Ask me again in May, and I might be crying in a cap and gown. But for now? I’m ready to run this last lap.