Juniors Versus Seniors: Who Have it Worse?

The common misconception about high school is that junior year is the hardest and most stressful, and this stems from the fact that the year is focused intently on standardized testing, mainly the SAT and ACT.

However, many seniors at Hills West would beg to differ. Of 10 seniors interviewed, six said that senior year was more troublesome, while three chose their junior year and one opted for “both.”

College applications tend to be the main reason that students find their senior year far harder to handle. Senior Nadia Mezic said, “Senior year is worse because nothing is definite. You stumble through the year without knowing what will happen”. Unlike junior year, 12th grade students ultimately have to choose where they will spend the next four years of their life.

In addition to college stress, AP classes enhance the feelings of worry and anxiety among seniors. Marli Delaney agreed, saying, “In my situation, senior year so far has been more stressful because I decided to forget that ‘senioritis’ is a thing and ended up taking more AP’s and extra curricular activities than ever before. Also, along with college apps and the little bit of social life that I have left, all I can feel is tired.”

Junior Emily Orlando confirmed the testing struggles of junior year by saying, “What don’t I find stressful about junior year? I think the SAT is the most stressful for me because of how much studying and memorization it entails as well as the pressure of getting a good score.” Most juniors can definitely agree, that between testing and an abundance of AP’s, it’s difficult to even imagine the stress that one’s senior year may entail.

Evidently, senior year is most definitely not a time to ‘take it easy’ and ‘relax.’ With college applications, supplements and essays, in addition to a rigorous schedule- potentially filled with Honors and AP classes- the verdict is clear: seniors have it harder.