To keep the overlords of my D203 Chromebook happy, senior year has been one h-e-double- hockey-sticks of a year. Reflecting back on my time as a senior thus far, I realize that some of the cliches that I have heard about a senior year are absolutely true, and others are flat-out lies. I am here to reinforce the helpful ones and debunk the ones straight out of a Netflix Rom-Com.
This is me on a college visit to the University of Rochester over the summer. I began the college search ridiculously early on. When the second semester of freshman year (yes, freshman year) rolled around, I considered myself a seasoned high school student, ready to begin planning for the next phase of life. My college list has shifted quite significantly since then. I credit that to the information sessions and tours, both in-person and virtually.
VERY TRUE CLICHE #1: Tour your schools!
This was one of the biggest factors that allowed me to pair down my list. After this trip to Rochester, I learned that I really prioritize green spaces and a cozy campus atmosphere. When I took a trip to Boston later in the summer to tour Boston University and Northeastern, I didn’t like them nearly as much as Rochester. I knew exactly why! BU and Northeastern both lacked green space, and had large roads and trains cutting across campus. Pinning down the factors that make a school right for you speeds up the process of narrowing your focus onto the schools you really want to go to.
The pandemic put a wrench in a lot of plans. The most notable for my family was my sister, Hope, staying at home for her freshman year of college. As a 2020 grad, many universities were not yet equipped to safely bring back their student population. Hope’s school, Depaul, decided to go remote for the entire 2020-2021 year. I was disappointed by this decision, I was ready for her to leave! I wanted my own bathroom and full control of the car that we shared. Fast forward to September of this year, and I was singing a different tune.
VERY VERY TRUE CLICHE #2: Cherish the time you spend with your siblings!
Saying goodbye to Hope was one of the most difficult things I have done this year, and it has been a big adjustment to live without her. I have still not yet come to terms with the reality that I will likely never live permanently with her again. The extra year I got to spend with her was unexpected, but I loved every minute of it.
DO NOT BE FOOLED BY MY CHEERY DISPOSITION IN THESE PHOTOS. Until this year, I avoided the famed “FNL” like the plague. I thought that football games were a pointless use of my time and much preferred the Friday Night Movie Night my friend and I chose as our Friday night activity for the first 2 years of high school. 1 year of remote learning later, I decided to embrace this peak Midwestern experience. Unlike some other NNHS traditions which I found to be thoroughly enjoyable, football games did not live up to my expectations.
Debunked Cliche #1: Football games are NOT AS MUCH FUN as the movies make them out to be.
Living in Illinois, the weather will inevitably be an issue, but MY GOODNESS, Mother Nature has not been kind to Naperville Illinois this year. It seemed like every other game was either rainy, cold, or both. Add to it the fact that the Dawg pound stands for the entire game and I was cold, wet, and tired of standing. The 11 PM McDonald’s I enjoyed post-game was ten times better than the game itself. Unless your high school experience feels incomplete without standing in the rain for 3 hours packed like sardines metal bleachers, skip the game. Or not, your choice 🙂
I am sharing my most groundbreaking discovery of 2021 with all you readers, so do not take this lightly. Peet’s > Starbucks. I realize that this may be a controversial opinion, thus I will be providing the itemized list which has led to this conclusion.
The beans Starbucks uses are over-roasted and lead to bitter coffee. - Starbucks uses PRE-SWEETENED MATCHA POWDER. For those of you who may not be as obsessed with Matcha as I am, this is a big no-no. At Peet’s, you are able to omit the simple syrup.
- It is close to school, and there is never a line on Wednesdays. This is very convenient and a big difference from the 10 minutes I used to spend standing in line at Starbucks Freshman year when I could have been sleeping in.
- This is subjective of course, but I have found that in general, Pete’s baristas are more visually appealing to the eye, than those at Starbucks.
Debunked Cliche #2: High School Students do not run Starbucks. (not this one at least)
To close off my list, I present you with a classic case of high school burnout. Coming into this year, I wanted to be involved in as much as possible, to really squeeze the most fun out of my last year of high school. I joined more activities than the lengthy list of those I was already involved in. I spent any extra free time on my weekends hanging out with my friends and angering my mother in the process by returning home after curfew almost every weekend. IT is fun, but it can also be exhausting.
Debunked Cliche #3: You do not need to spend every waking minute of senior year involved in activities and/or being social.
Taking some time for yourself is SO SO important, and something that is often easily pushed to the wayside. My 2022 resolution is to take more time for myself!
Cheers to 2022.