Senioritis is real. So as a brilliant student, you believe things will always go great right? Well guess what? Even if you are a top student in school and always do your work on time, there will be that time where school will be so stressful as a senior. As seniors, we like to think about the easy and short classes, going home early, having senior privileges and fun senior events. It sounds so good but senior year is just stress-coated with fun activities. 

As a child, I believed everything would go smoothly. Life is all planned with fairytale endings.  But as I have grown and matured, I am starting to realize that being a senior in high school comes with a lot of responsibilities and decision making: applying to colleges, considering the colleges you apply to with your GPA, location and program of choice. It sounds complex, right? I am a first-generation student, which means the first in my family to go to college. I am also the first born of my mom and she is a single parent, so I will have to help take care of my younger brother. All these factors affect my college decision because I will have to choose a college close to home, so I can help transport my younger brother to and from school. I have to also consider getting a job to help with my college tuition.

And I will be making those choices in a new home: My family and I plan to move to Georgia after graduation. I am happy to move because I have family there and one of my dream schools is located in that state.

But I still have some tough decisions to make. I applied to my first choice, Georgia State University and got accepted, but making a wise decision about whether to attend is not easy for me. If I accept my first choice, that will mean, getting a perfect college class schedule, driving two hours a day in and out of college and maybe I might need to consider staying on campus.  So as much as I want to start at my dream school, it might make sense for me to start at a community college near my new home and transfer to Georgia State later.

As I weigh my choices, I am happy I have a counselor and a college advisor, not to mention a supportive mother.  They are my guides to achieving a balanced college life that works for me and my family. 

I know I’m not the only student who sometimes feels overwhelmed by the important choices we have to make. If you are struggling with academics or decisions about your future, reach out to the college advisor, guidance counselor or your teachers. Do not ever feel you have failed, do not compare yourself to others and do not let people’s words intimidate you. Work your way into your own success and always have in mind that you are a future leader, so the power lies in your hand.