Uncertainty Builds up Stress Amongst Senior Class

From the changes made for the graduating class due to COVID-19 in regards to requirements of events throughout the year and general meetings to look at individual’s futures, there has been a rise in concern as to whether or not seniors are ready to walk across the stage and finish their high school experience.

Aside from general concerns for some students such as failing courses, there is the constant fear of not having the right credits. At HUHS the standard diploma needs three credits of science, math, and social studies, and four of English. While filling up schedules with the required courses should not be a problem to graduate on time, there is the concern as to whether it counts as a core credit or merely an elective.

Aside from factors concerning credit requirements, there has also been the cancellation of the Focus on Connections event, which is a graduation requirement that one completes their junior or senior year after taking financial literacy. Without word on rescheduling the event there grows the question of whether it is still required but yet to be planned, or removed entirely.

In relation to the financial literacy course required for juniors, found of the HUHS homepage, “The Focus on Connections event associated with this course allows students to apply the concepts learned and life choices made in a simulated environment.”

Through this event, students are able to get hands on experience that can benefit them after high school, either in college or well beyond that. With there being no know date yet to reschedule this event, this jeopardizes the level of experience HUHS graduates will face when heading out into the real world.

Leading up to the end of the high school experience, HUHS also set the requirement of attending a college and career fair. However, as of this school year there have only been a few select dates with virtual college fairs to give students an opportunity to get an overview of schools and programs of interest.

This creates an unstable sense of assurance with the lack of structure in their senior year and uncertainty in their future. According to Central College, “75 percent of American college [students either] start their college career as undecided or change their major at least once.” This time to gather information and figuring out interests for individuals that could become great careers is crucial but appears pressured onto students out of thin air.

Without communication to the graduating class on any changes to the required events, it can get mixed up as to what students all have piled up. Though there has not been word on requirements, there has at least been the addition of online college fairs and seminars for those who really need the help in planning after high school.

However, that does not reduce the to-do list seniors have to make sure they finish out strong.

The buildup of stress from the unknown of this school year is making senior year go by all too quickly, like one doesn’t even have enough time to think. Seniors are so wrapped up in completing courses, maintaining grades, keeping up with co-curricular activities, and still trying to have a social life that they have no extra time to worry about the moving forward in graduation plans and what is still needed to get done.

Turning in orders for cap and gown information went by so quickly and second semester only just begun, so getting a moment to breathe is the least they could do.