The final year of high school is such a bittersweet feeling. As a senior, it’s such a relieving moment when I realize I’ve made it so far and all my hard work has almost paid off. However, it’s a stressful and scary moment when we seniors realize there are so many people counting on us to do our best with distinction projects, finish the semester with good grades, and figure out a plan with college.

The second semester of senior year feels the scariest. First semester includes college applications, starting to work on distinction project ideas, and stressing the thought of graduation. During second semester, it feels as though every little thing intensifies 10x.

Second semester is filled with distinction deadlines, college decision deadlines, and thoughts of “Finish out the year strongly” and “Don’t give up now.” It is so hard to find motivation to finish out strongly when we feel as though we have used all our energy and motivation in the first three years of high school as well as the first semester of senior year.

With COVID being put into the mix beginning in our freshman year and moving from online learning to in-person learning, it feels as though every little assignment piles up so easily. John Carroll shut down for in-person learning as a result of the pandemic from March 2020-September 2020. Virtual learning was also an option from September 2020-June 2021.

With almost two and a half years of adapting to online learning to immediately going back to “normal learning” during fall of 2021, I would say this definitely has taken a toll on motivation to just “finish senior year strongly.”

Although COVID is considered to be in the past now, it has made permanent damages to some seniors’ motivation to get work done.

I myself still continue to struggle with motivation to get work done on time. I also struggle to get out of bed in time to not get a tardy while also trying to stay awake during class.

This year being the first “normal” year since 2020 doesn’t feel normal. The stress levels I have been feeling are at an all time high which doesn’t feel normal. I was told that junior year was going to be the hardest year academically, but I feel as though senior year really surpasses that stereotype.

However, with all the stress and anxiety that surrounds the end of senior year comes excitement and relief soon after.

Some things we seniors may look forward to toward the end of senior year to help increase motivation are prom and graduation. Similar to getting our junior school rings, it is events like these that are able to remind seniors that our hard work has almost completely paid off.

Finishing out high school “strongly” with good grades, making college decisions and distinction deadlines won’t be easy, but I know it will be worth it in the end.