It’s about that time again where students are hustling and bustling around to find that perfect school for them. Whether a student plans to go to college or not, no one can deny the overwhelming stress on seniors while planning for their future.

Some students say that their stress level isn’t too overbearing. Maddie Baker, a fellow senior student says, “ The stress is definitely there, but it’s not horrible.” Noting that although the pressure is shown, she actually finds that she’s most worried about her senior year grades. Maddie says, “ I’m worried my GPA might drop.” This is a fear many other students can relate too.  Seniors are facing a new world of tasks during this time. At this point it should be obvious that the college process may be easier said than done. Ipswich High School guidance counselor Ms.May tries to aid students’ comforts. Ms. May says, “ I try to work with them, manage deadlines, and help them develop positive coping skills.” This is all in the hopes of guiding everyone to a school or position that they can be happy in. 

It’s important for students to remain organized during this process to maintain a clean, free, and simple mind in a task that’s full of many “ to dos”. Maddie Baker says, “It’s most important to be organized; I like to destress a little bit, take breaks and listen to music. Then get back into it when I’m ready.” This is a tip to avoid getting overwhelmed within the midst of everything. Ms. May agrees. She says, “Try to stay organized, do the hardest things first, although many are inclined not to, just come up with what works for you. I’m a big fan of tiny little boxes and checking things off”. 

With such a stressful time, many seniors find that applying for college is the hardest part. Between filling out applications, letters of recommendation and college visits, it seems seniors have been worrying, as they try to get everything done. Maddie Baker said, “I try to stay organized, but I let stress build up then deal with it, or try to deal with it.” Some seniors seem to be getting stuck with what to do and when to do it. It is challenging to find time for everything, especially since it is all personalized work, so everyone is in a different spot. 

The application process is very tedious. It takes a lot of time and reflection through your past three years of high school. It takes countless meetings with guidance counselors, tracking down your parents to fill out the “family” questions and reading and re-reading your college essay to finally have everything checked off. Finally you can submit your application to your top colleges.When the application is finally submitted, it is a huge weight off seniors shoulders . It may seem that everything is done after that, but there is still so much more to do! Now it is time to think about money and patiently wait for the letter from your top college. 

When everything’s said and done, hopefully we can all look back at this time and see how this process can be very overbearing, and seem to be such a daunting task, but it’s important to keep in mind that colleges want to accept you for just being you! No one needs copies and copies of the same exact student. You shouldn’t be overthinking the labels of it all or pressuring yourself to find a college that your mom likes best; instead find the place that will be number one in your own heart. Ms. May agrees, “Everyone is different, and everyone is continuing to change; remember to be a little more kind to yourself, and to take the route that’s best for you!”.