Senior year, despite the stereotype that it is easy, challenges students as much if not more than junior year. Seniors deal with the constant torment of worrying about life after high school and multiple IB assignments on top of the the work and social pressure of normal student life.
The meticulous process of applying to colleges or deciding whether to go to college constantly bogs down seniors as deadlines rapidly approach. The combination of these processes on top of the IB program’s high demands as CAS wraps up and Extended Essays are due distracts students from their normal school work. This extra workload also creates difficulty in maintaining a normal social life. A senior’s schedule also includes many second year IB courses increasing their workload.
Seniors also focus on high school while dealing with anxiety over what they are going to do after graduation. Students almost have to select which mindset to focus on during the school year. This uncertainty reduces seniors’ motivation from their normal work as most would prefer to focus on their future. This decision, along with the persistent reminder of just how little time remains until high school ends, causes students to lose interest as they reach the end of their final year. This discouragement did not exist junior year as students worked hard in hopes to reach an easier senior year.
Junior year does put a lot of pressure on students as they have to work harder to get high scores on standardized tests and IB assessments while completing volunteer work for their future college applications. Seniors still need to work hard, simply because their midterm grades are equally as important and they deal with working on college applications, instead of just considering them. Juniors may feel that their year is more difficult, but senior year yields a harder and more stressful workload in the last year of high school.