This is the year we wait for. We try to imagine it as the seniors chant in our rallies throughout the past years. We picture it being us as we watch them throw their caps in the air at graduation. It all seems so bittersweet and far out, but then suddenly it’s you, you’re the senior. It marks the year of important decisions and the firsts of many lasts. It’s a year to share memories with people you may never see again or, at least, see every day. It’s a year to appreciate what you have accomplished and set new goals for your future. Seniors recognize who they are and who they want to be. Here’s to senior year!

As the class of 2019 hits their senior year off, they are filled with a variety of emotions that can range from excitement, stress, or relief. Either way, these emotions we hold are usually caused by our expectations. So what exactly are these expectations? Being a senior myself, I know I expect several things, both good and bad. You may assume a senior will say one of two things on the spectrum of their expectations. The first being they want this last year to be like a blink of an eye, where they can skip it and face adulthood already. The other being that they want to savor this year, make it last and stay away from the “real” world as long as possible. While I still enjoy knowing that, in this article I want to go even deeper, exploring what other fellow classmates think their personal lives will be during this time as well as their academic lives. I feel that the type of classes and home lives of these students will depict the responses of each individual. Either way, I set out to hear more on what the senior sharks at Santiago have to say, realizing how we all differentiate in so many ways. Here are their comments.

First, more in depth:

A current senior wishes to “have a good senior year, meaning quality time with friends”. She says “I can already see myself getting good grades in all my classes because all my teachers are super cool”. She chose easy classes for this last year and is someone who “looks forward to football games” and the rest of the senior activities. She has a positive attitude and seems to be in cruise control for an exciting year.

Another senior expects to “grow the most as a person during these twelve months, but with it [he says] I can see the challenges that come nearing adulthood”. He enrolled himself in challenging classes this year which he feels will “dominate [his] social life”, but he keeps a good outlook in the way he sees himself accomplishing it all, saying “I hope I will achieve well in school and prosper with my friends”. He is someone with big plans for his future and sees his own downfalls, making this senior year important to him.

For me, I feel somewhat all over the place. Even so, I’m not exactly sure what to expect. I expect to get good grades, but I question if they will be good enough for college. I also question my athletic ability as I try to get a scholarship. As you can see, I stress the idea of what happens after high school may be too much. But in the end, I think what I seek the most is the keeping people in my life this year and how they influence me. I hope to enjoy my senior year and make the best out of my negatives, but you can’t do that without some positives and those will be my friends.

A small gist of the year:

One student says “my expectations for the senior year are to get good grades and be a good person. All I want from this year is to have fun and make it a good last year”.

The last senior says “I just want it to be fun and I want to make a lot of memories that I can carry with me until after high school”.

This shows the different things we look forward to, may it be the fun memories made or the standards we hold ourselves to. If you’re not a senior yet, maybe you’ll feel the same in the future and if you are, maybe you hold similar opinions with those around you. We can only hope the seniors achieve greatness this year in whatever form it may be. Good luck sharks!