To fear or not to fear

Fear, what is fear? Is it something you feel when you are in the claws of danger or of an impending threat? Or is it an anxiety that occurs deeply in the brains lobes, like horror movies? Either way, fear is real and it causes anxiety or stress. Everyone everywhere has a fear of something, whether it is simple or extraordinary they still have them, even the so-called macho men. I myself have fears, just like everyone else, but you know what the scariest thing is? Senior year. Being a senior is one of the most stressful years of any young person’s life.

From the start, there are the multiple AP classes one takes in order to pass the AP tests in May, to have a jump start in the college/university. In order to do this, all the long hours of homework and studying must be put in. I am currently taking three AP classes – English, Government, and Economics. These classes are meant to be challenging, thus the name Advanced Placement. The pressure I have right now is how to manage my time effectively at home when studying or doing homework, not to make one single class priority but to make all classes a priority. In the end, receiving that A is what makes those long arduous hours worth it.

On top of all that, the SAT’s and ACT’s are taken, which along with your GPA, calculate your chances of being admitted to the universities. Both these tests require an extensive amount of studying so that the results are high and good. I’ve known about these tests specifically since when I was a freshman, when my sister was a senior. I remember she would stress about how she needed to absolutely get high scores on the tests or else she’d say, “I won’t get accepted anywhere with these scores” and I’d just shrug as any oblivious freshman would, and now sadly, the tables have turned. It is I, along with the rests of the senior class, who stress about taking the tests. Not to mention the dilemmas that arise like if you forget the deadline and have to pay late fee, the test center is not in the city, you forget your ID or the entrance ticket. Much attention and focus has to be present because these little, yet big, mistakes are what seniors fear they will do.

After that, starting in October seniors everywhere will begin applying for the CSUs and in November the application process for the UCs begin.  The problem many seniors face is where they will apply and where they will eventually attend. Many seniors think they want to go as far way home as possible, so they can start over and meet new people. But the problem with this is they end up getting homesick and return, not even finishing a semester in college. These decisions are what make choosing where to apply stressful. Searching through the school websites to find the applications is a daunting task for me, a stepping stone of what’s to come for the next chapter of my life. To deal with this fear I have been talking to with my older siblings who’ve already gone through this process. They tell me to relax and take it each one step at a time, focusing on the test scores and the personal statement. Also I’ve reached out with teachers who have guided me at school during lunch hours or after school.

This last year of high school for me, and I will try to make it the best. I will be a part of the varsity soccer team for the last time here at school and I really want to win another CCS title.  I will also experience my last homecoming dance, winter ball, prom, rallies, and just being with my friends. It’s amazing how time flies, I remember my first day here at Alisal; it was a sunny morning in 2010 entering first period and seeing Ms. Albano, and now I’m preparing to apply for colleges and enter the real world. It’s a bit scary to think, how everyone who graduated said to enjoy high school because in a blink of an eye you are in your gown ready to walk the line and shake the hand of the principal and receive your diploma and then, it’s all over.

The message I am trying to send to all the SENIORS is exactly that, to enjoy senior year because you will never be able to live it again. Do the stuff you’ll know you’ll regret not doing because in the end the memories and experiences are what shape a person.