Summer's Impending Departure

Senior year.

It's supposed to be the most magical year of your life, isn't it?

Every school event is the last one you'll attend as a student. Think about it. As a senior, homecoming is your last homecoming. Winter Formal is your last Winter Formal. Prom is your last prom. Rallies, football games, and dances are slowly coming to an end. Also, every other class is obligated to like you and the teachers recognize you as the most mature class on campus.

It doesn't get any better, right?

Wrong.

Senior year is the most stressful, frightening, and depressing year of my life. Sound cynical? Let me explain.



1. Deadlines

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." - Douglas Adams

Wise words, Mr. Adams. Wise words indeed.

There are so many deadlines senior year; SAT/ACT scores, university applications, senior photos/quotes, scholarship applications... it becomes very difficult to keep track of all of them. Not to mention the many events you're expected to attend, such as grad night, prom, and graduation. There are so many dates thrown at you senior year that it's tempting to burn your calendar... on campus.

2. Life Decisions

You know what I hate? When people ask "what are you doing after graduation?" How am I supposed to know?! I'm not a fortuneteller! Usually I go for the generic "I'm going to attend university as a music major." This leads to my least favorite question on earth, which is "where are you going to go for college?" Yeah. Because I'm going to get into any college I apply to and can therefore tell you exactly where I'm going to go. Oh yeah, and my millionaire boyfriend is taking me to a Broadway show this weekend, because life is just that kind.

3. Saying Goodbye

There are so many things one has to say goodbye to after graduation, assuming you stop living at home. You have to say goodbye to your family, your room, your town, your kitchen... in order to start a new life, you have to say goodbye to your old one. New beginnings can be exciting, but endings are depressing. Not to mention that the fact of your leaving is constantly thrown in your face. Graduation celebrates your old life ending. Any activity you're involved in will require you to stand up and hear your name called as one of the people who will be leaving. It starts to feel like people are obsessed with your impending departure.

Come to think of it, why do we celebrate people leaving? It seems a bit cold-hearted... "You're leaving?!?! YAY!!! Let's have a party!!!"

Senior year...

I've never been so sick to my stomach.

Less than three,

~ Summer