Dealing with the stresses of senior year

Upon reaching the end of my junior year, I had no idea what to expect when I began school again in the fall. I didn’t think it would be much different than any other year at Mat-Su Career and Technical High School, except for the fact that it would be my last year of free education. I really didn’t think too much would change.

That thought would change once the fall semester was well underway.

A hint I should have seen coming was worrying over my schedule — way back in the middle of summer. I only needed a take a few more classes to graduate, but I wanted to take full advantage of all the classes my school has to offer. So I signed up to take six classes and to be a teacher’s assistant, at the same time noticing that some of my classmates had only signed up for three or four classes.

Then there were extra-curricular activities to think about. I’m already involved in a few. Should I donate more of my time and services to any other clubs or groups? If I do, will I have time to contribute to these associations and keep up my grades? I currently have a 4.0 gpa and I want to keep it that way. Will adding more activities interfere with my chance of being a valedictorian? Will they interfere with fulfilling my senior obligations?

And there are quite a few senior obligations: getting a senior photo taken, purchasing a cap and gown, deciding whether to buy any senior mementoes, making graduation announcements, figuring out how many of those announcements I need to buy by making a list of recipients, making sure the list of recipients isn’t missing anyone who might get offended, trying to find a class motto, and the list continues on and on.

Not only that, but there are post-secondary education decisions to worry about. Stay in state or go out of state? What options are there out of state, if I decide to go that way? Should I apply for scholarships or federal student aid? Take the ACT? Retake the SAT? Should I look at a vocational or work-study program? Or should I take a different route and think about joining the military?

And it’s not just school I think about. I have to think about paying off a car. I have to think about paying for gas and car insurance. With winter coming, I also have to think about washing and waxing the car and getting an oil change and studded tires. As a responsible teenager, I also pay my own cellphone bill. With all these concerns to pay for, I need to have a source of income. That adds another worry — finding a paying job.

These uncertainties go in and out of my head every day. There are days where I wonder if I will be able to make it through all of this unscathed. I wonder if I’ll make a decision I may seriously regret later. But then I remind myself that life is all about the journey. These trials are simply part of that. There will be ups and downs. All I can do is go along for the ride, appreciating the highs and the lows.

Anita Laulainen is a senior at Mat-Su Career and Technical High School.