High school seniors have a myriad of commonalities among them… Whether it be constantly muttering obscenities about school under your breath or telling all your friends you’re going to visit them next year when you know you really won’t, you’re not alone. Here are the WY Beacon picks for the most prominent similarities among high school seniors.

1.You care about your college apparel way too much and wear it way too often
Once you’ve finally made your decision, you buy all the gear you could possible need for
a small army of spirited teens. This includes cheerleading skirts and the expertly patched
overalls for tailgates, the quintessential oversized sweatshirt for lounging in your room or
sleeping in class, and more. And you make sure everyone knows you’ve committed by
wearing your college name or logo on your clothing at least once a week.

2.You freak out about prom
Whether it is about the dress, the date, the lake house afterwards, or something else,
you’re freaking out about something prom related.

3.Your best friend starts getting on your nerves
It is the inevitable truth that everyone says will never happen to them. The girl that has been your best friend since freshman year will suddenly morph into someone completely different. Relax, it’s only your imagination. And if it’s not just your imagination, remember change is good and your best friend might not be the same person she was four years ago and that’s probably a good thing.

4.You cry a lot
Whether it be tears of joy over a beautiful promposal or tears of sadness over not getting into your top choice school, you probably cry a lot if you’re a senior.

5.You binge watch Netflix
With all your responsibilities falling to the wayside, you’re probably feeling inclined to get into a new show. That way you can binge watch to fill up all this newfound free time.

6.You don’t do homework
Whether you haven’t done homework in three months or three days, you still fall into the category of the typical senior whose body has been overtaken by senioritis.

7.Your sweatpants become your best friend
When your brain feels like it’s barely working, don’t expect your outfits to be working either. So embrace those sweatpants seniors.

8.You learn how to sleep comfortably on a desk
When you’re still bringing that plush sweater to school in the warm months of May and
June, you’re not fooling anyone. Everyone knows that is your makeshift pillow.
If it wouldn’t be disrespectful to your teachers you’d probably be bringing a real pillow
instead.

9.You fake an injury or illness to get out of class
Ever been so busy that you don’t have time for physical therapy anytime other than
during the school day? Yeah, me neither. But our teachers don’t have to know that. An
Whitney Young senior (who would like to remain anonymous) says, “One time my
teacher was pressing me to tell her why I had been missing class so much so I panicked. I said physical therapy for my knee since I had been hit by a car. I’ve never
been hit by a car. Now the teacher constantly asks me how therapy is going.” If this is
too extreme of an excuse for you to pull off, start small by headed to the nurse’s office
to taking a nap when you’re feeling ‘lightheaded.’ You’ll be signed out as long as you
don’t have a test or quiz. You’re welcome.

10.You no longer own pencils, folders or paper
Your bottomless pit of a backpack makes for a great folder and you can always borrow
paper or a pencil. Why didn’t you realize this years ago?

11.Your grades are the worst they’ve ever been
That 42% you have in math? It’s casual. Once you turn in the eighteen assignments you
have to make up you should be fine.

12.You beg your teachers to raise your grade
While the horrible grades were funny for a while, finals are just around the corner so you don’t want to keep messing around. So instead of working hard and doing your homework in hopes of changing your grade, you simply beg your teachers to take pity on you. Daniella Rafaeli ‘17 stands by this method wholeheartedly saying, “I’ve never gotten lower than a B yet my grades remain questionable for the majority of the semester.” If your methods of persuasion are nonexistent, stick to things like asking for extra credit, enlisting the help of a parent or tutor and hoping for the best.

13.You FINALLY start appreciating your parents
After all they do for you, it’s about time. And if you still aren’t appreciating your parents, just wait until next year.

14.You go on a trip with all your friends
Whether it be an exotic getaway to Mexico or a quaint but fun trip to a friend’s lakehouse
just a few hours away, you’re bound to have gone on a trip with friends this year or at
least have one planned for this summer. Quinn Gorman ‘17 is extremely excited for her
senior trip to Sea Island, Georgia this summer saying, “Sea Island is already great
because I get to see my amazing grandma, Gogo, I get to dress up and play Bingo for money, and lay out in the sun all day. But this time is going to be even better because I’ll have all my girlfriends there.” If you aren’t as prepared as Quinn, start checking your friends calendars and get something on the books for this summer. You won’t regret it.

15.You feel like the hard part is over
Little do you know, you have a lot more in store for next year. College is going to be
H-A-R-D. For those of you who haven’t been hitting the books lately, or ever, that spells
hard. Nonetheless, enjoy your senior year and your last summer at home. Don’t stress
about college just yet…Especially since you’ve stressed enough about that this year. Now that you’ve been accepted and are almost done with senior year, just give yourself a pat on the back and call it a year well done.

While all fifteen of these may not apply to you, you’re still a typical high school senior at heart. And while it’s fun to be a brooding high school senior, don’t forget that this is your last year of high school, your last year at home and the last year you’ll be in constant communication with the friends you’ve made in high school, so don’t take it for granted.

Photos courtesy of Maggie Rivas