The pre-holiday season at SHS always brings a considerable amount of stress to students. The balancing of school, clubs, jobs, and sports can be overwhelming, but this year is different for the SHS students graduating in 2022. With November 1st college application deadlines approaching for many, their levels of stress have skyrocketed.

SHS senior Sean Norton, an active member of multiple extracurriculars who is also a starting center for the varsity football team, stated that on a scale from one to ten regarding his level of stress, he’s at a “64.” According to Norton, the school year has been “one stack of stress” with “too much to do.” Norton feels as though his stress mostly stems from the college application process, but guessed “it’s a big mix.” 

SHS senior Sam Benning, Vice President of Student Government and the National Honor Society for the Class of 2022, shares the sentiment with Norton. Benning explains that with balancing school, extracurriculars, and college, his stress has “definitely been rooted in a perfect storm of all three.” Benning also specifies that “each of them seems to have prominence at different times.”

Both seniors stressed the importance of time management in handling stress, with Benning declaring that “it is important to do one thing at a time,” and Norton explaining how he’s been planning his time out “a lot more.” SHS senior Kevin O’ Keefe also advises other stressed SHS seniors to “make a list and don’t put things off. Tasks are manageable if you break them down.” 

When it comes to avoiding the sheer immensity of stress for seniors right now, O’ Keefe and Benning recommend decompressing to improve your mental state. Benning specifically advocates for “going outside or going on drives.”  Making time for this relaxation is certainly difficult for many, but it’s imperative for maintaining positive mental health and being able to perform to your highest potential in all facets of your life.