High stress with no time
As senior year comes to an end, the Class of 2020 feels the effects of senioritis kicking in
Time’s Arrow Marches Forward: Graduating Class of 2020 prepare their caps and gowns in preparation for the oncoming day in the spotlight as they get their diplomas and graduate. With everything going on and the stress of school making students want to shut down and give up, graduation day is a light at the end of the tunnel keeping students going. “I worked my whole life towards getting my diploma, wearing that gown, and knowing I made it. I already started the race, I am going to finish it,” senior Caleb Young said.
June 8, 2020
As the seemingly long-lived and craziest senior year in recent history comes to an end, seniors begin to feel the stress of making final deadlines, trying to curve their grades and finish the year strong. The phenomenon is commonly known as “Senioritis” spread through the Class of 2020 faster than COVID-19 has throughout the country. Now the question at hand is “What is Senioritis”? According to Google’s online dictionary, senioritis is “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” With everything going on currently in the world, it’s not surprising to see a greater lack of motivation among the class of 2020 across the nation. Fortunately, if there’s one thing the Lake Stevens Vikings are, it’s relentless.
Tensions grow as senior year comes to an end. The Lake Stevens High School Senior Class is put in a position that no other generation has been in before. The combination of a pandemic and being locked inside made the Class of 2020 feel more overwhelmed than normal. Many feel the stress of life and school every day, making this combination a perfect source for senioritis to start and grow.
“It feels, since we are all at home more, the school thinks we can spend seven plus hours doing the work assigned to us, without a change [of] environment making it even harder to stay on task and keep going … Sure we have more time to get our work done, but we are stuck inside with our families, without a distraction from life or an outlet to relieve our stress,” senior Caleb Young said.
With all this pressure and stress consuming the seniors of Lake Stevens High School, many see the additional week added to senior year is a burden, but others have seen it as a gift in disguise.
“I am grateful the school gave seniors an extra week of school. I’m glad because it gives me and many others I know a chance to catch up. I know many students don’t care about their grades. I was like that too. I realized the year is almost over and I’m graduating, and that motivated me to keep going and get my assignments done,” senior Valerie Aguilar said.
Many seniors have found ways to cope with the stress of the year coming to an end, or have learned from the challenges they were presented with. As young adults, they take the time to breathe and handle what life throws at them.
“This last quarter of school has taught me two important lessons, the importance of patience and independence. With all this going on and being so stressed lately I have used the time I have to do stress-relieving activities I have always wanted to do like watch the sunset, or just stop and be in the moment and relax,” senior Troy Espinoza said.
Twelve years of schooling has gone by, four of those being the important years spent in high school. It was these times in life that has molded Lake Stevens High School seniors into the young adults they are today. The world has tested seniors all across the country, but Lake Stevens Senior Class refused to buckle and is stronger for it. There is nothing the world can throw at the Class of 2020. Stay humble, keep moving forward, and stay relentless Vikings.
