en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:21:13 GMT 15 By Parvathy Murukurthy
 “Senioritis” kicked in prematurely at the beginning of my junior year. My papers became a jungle of scribbles and my notes went from paragraphs to two bullet lists. I struggled through the last two years of high school. But then at last, I became a senior- no longer an underdog. It’s surreal to think that we will be walking across the stage in a few days, anxious to receive our diplomas. But once we get that diploma in our hands, it will probably hit home: things are about to change. There are so many perks to being a senior that I can only dread having to go back to being a freshman. What will it be like once we’re on our own, and can’t afford to be complacent? At least the last year of high school we could do the minimum amount of work to get just enough credit to maintain a stable GPA. Another perk of senior year is that you don’t have to wait for your mom to pick you up if you’re sick; instead you can just drive yourself. Although it’s a pain to sit in parking lot traffic, I much rather be driving myself than being in the passenger seat of my mom’s car. It is also relieving to get the most exemptions. When the last week of school rolls around, the last thing any 12 th grader wants to be worrying about are finals. During this time new friendships begin as people realize, “wow, we don’t have that much time left… It’s almost over.” In the fall, it will be a new year. Seniors will venture into a new school, with new people, new professors, higher expectations. A beautiful campus awaits, along with the big and scary real world. When talking about going to a college away from home Dunbar 2008 graduate and now college freshman at Vanderbilt, Amit Chakraborty -said, “You feel independent and free but sometimes nostalgic too.” It makes us realize we won’t have our parents around to ask for spare change or little siblings to pick on. It will, no doubt, be a sad day on June 4 th . Some of us will be way too happy to finally be done with high school, and others way too depressed to leave life as it was. Really, it’s all a cycle. We start at the bottom, make our way up, only to come back down and start again.  “It’s going to feel weird starting over again. But I’m looking forward to being led by others,” said senior Jenny Kate Baker. To be quite honest I think it is going to stink being the youngest once again. Not knowing where to sit in the dining halls while the mean girls stare you down will not be moments I look forward to. Most of us will probably look like lost puppies for a few weeks while we get accustomed to our new college. We’ll miss our friends, our family, easy classes, group quizzes, projects that saved our grades, the 60-40% rule, our glorious new exemption policy, and cool teachers that made the ride worth while. I can only hope we have matured enough in four years to be ready for what lays ahead. High school was fun but college will be much more fun. I’m excited. Even if it means I have to start from the bottom again… as a freshman.   ]]> Tue, 26 May 2009 17:13:27 GMT