Every year, seniors prepare in different ways for life after graduation. Some apply for colleges, some apply for jobs and some plan for a gap year. Seniors deal with mental strain every year from stress of life after graduation and a lot of times seniors don’t prepare themselves as much as they should. Well, now it is crunch time and seniors are discovering that it’s very important for students to prepare themselves early on rather than later on in the year. 

   “Not having a plan or goal in life can be stressful.  There is plenty of anxiety to go around, so making a solid plan and making concrete goals can be one stress releasor that all humans can do to create less anxiety.  So having a plan for what to do after high school can be huge for future successes,” counselor Tyler Richardson said. 

   One of the most important parts in preparing for graduation is setting a goal for yourself and where you want to be. This can help you push yourself and not procrastinate in certain situations. Procrastination will get students nowhere, and can make it very difficult to make commitments for jobs and colleges. Many students have already committed to jobs early on and have their heart set on colleges. This year’s class does seem to be, for the most part, prepared. 

   Seniors depend on high school to prepare them for life and many students feel underprepared as the school year comes closer to an end. Even though teachers and counselors help seniors arrange their plans and prepare for graduation, they cannot fully depend on someone else to make these plans. One of the biggest parts of adjusting to the big change that awaits seniors is having a plan, even if it’s a simple job or making arrangements for college. 

  WHS will be adding a new career advisor next year who will be able to sit down with seniors individually and help them arrange future plans, confirming that they have a job, or have applied for college. This will be a great asset for high school seniors who are about to enter into the real world of independence.

   Students’ worlds after high school are completely different, and it’s when people step out into life and get the first scent of officially maturing and being on your own.