High school is a wild ride, plain and simple. You can really say that from beginning to end, from the nerve of making that next step as a freshman to the anticipation of what’s to come as a senior. Yet that second thing is especially strong in the last quarter of the school year for Doherty students. This article intends to really reflect on those feelings in a way the common “I know it’s nerve wracking, but it’s exciting!” message you may hear all the time doesn’t quite do.

So, why is this time for seniors so anxiety filled? Well, the obvious answer to some may be that leaving the nest is overwhelming. The sudden change from constant oversight from parents and school to a complete ability to handle your own life clearly will jar these older students. There’s no tutorial on being an adult; you just are and past that you have to figure out the rest. Yet, especially in the 2020s, the answer runs deeper than that. According to Charlie Health, a mental healthcare institution, several other issues fuel young adults’ fear of transitioning into true adulthood. These run everywhere, from a worsening economy to worsening social anxieties that still are found from the pandemic (yes, even today)!

Regardless, there’s a ton still to be excited about as a rising adult! Getting to have total free will, as well as your first ability to really explore the world, are exciting. Of course, college is a massive plus too. On top of that, hope for the future of both yourself and the world around you are incredibly exciting. After all, when you’re a young adult, you basically become the leading generation of the world! 

Funnily enough though, even those positives come with a little side note. The weight of the world and being the main group of people to really start changing things from the last generation is still a ton of pressure because we will all really be “in the thick of it” by that point. 

Senior Lauren Kachel weighed in on these complex feelings: “I am sad to see my childhood go away, but I am happy to not live with my parents anymore.” Surely, these two exact feelings are shared among many Doherty students. We all want to stay young and carefree, but at the same time having freedom from the house is something we want just as much. Additionally, freedoms otherwise unattainable as a high school student are absolutely desirable as we become adults. “I’m looking forward to traveling more,” Kachel followed. 

“I feel equally scared and excited about graduating. It’s like I’m grieving my childhood while celebrating a new chapter of my life,” fellow senior Adrianna Crnich added. These feelings are bittersweet, and having to weigh them will simply remain tough regardless of how you look at it. Yet, ultimately, it’s best to look towards the future instead of always missing the past. That new chapter in your life is incredibly exciting to ponder!

“I will not miss having to be in high school. I am looking forward to a new environment and a fresh start,” is the best mindset which Crnich expresses. The past can be fun to look back on, but wanting something fresh is simply human. 

After a while, we can’t all just stay being kids all day every day. There’s way more to life than that, and hopefully that reminder dawns itself on seniors who fear the real world. If there’s any person to make a change, it’s all of you, and you are the ones that will be able to shake this world for the better. The fear of growing up will just temporarily rear its ugly head, because that will shape itself into opportunity to be capitalized on. 

In conclusion, let your fear of growing up guide you, not take you over. We as Doherty students all have potential to make a difference, and hopefully that’s inspiring to hear as a senior!