Finally, Senior Year!
Coming into senior year is accompanied with a rush of excitement for your teenager. This is the time that he or she has been looking forward to for a good deal of his or her high school life. Finally, they are the ones at the top of the high school triangle. By this point, they feel at home in high school but simultaneously a bit on edge as well. They are dealing with both feeling comfortable in their environment but also fidgety about stepping out.
Leaving high school with a bang
Since this is their last year in high school, many teenagers feel compelled to make it one they won’t forget. Your teen may want to make a mark or leave an impression in a school activity he may call his own. It can be in a sport, musical group, or school publication. They want to feel that they have truly belonged before they move on. This kind of mindset can foster a healthy motivating spirit within your teenager. But as inspired as they may feel, this may also mean more pressure to make this significant year stand out among the previous ones as well. Senior year is also when the significance of friendships is at its peak. Your teen’s social life is an essential aspect of high school. By this year, romantic relationships which may involve sexual activity may definitely have come into the picture. The presence or lack of these types of relations may be a significant issue for seniors. Independence IssuesThe changing atmosphere at home must also be considered. Your teenager may be exhibiting his fair share of independence by this year in high school, and the manner in which this was attained is of significance. The manner in which his independence was achieved can mean either the smooth transition into the unavoidable parting that goes along with graduation or a rather bumpy ride into the new world your teen faces. If a healthy independence is not reached by this level, whatever problems or issues your teenager may have faced in the lower levels may go from bad to worse. Anxiety and Stress
Particularly for those students headed for college right after graduation, anxiety can hit. The application period, final school requirements, and parental pressure may all be factors that add to your teen’s stress. If he or she may not be bound for college afterward, other factors may also be the cause of stress, such as getting a job or possibly moving out. These teenagers may feel left out when others are all a buzz about plans of going off to college. Normally, the most stress hits teens headed for college in the first half of their senior year, while those that are not, experience most stress in the second half of the school year. |
