Class of 2026, we’ve made it! The final year of high school is supposed to be the most exciting one yet but for many of us is the most stressful and uncertain one. College applications were due on December 1st and acceptances and rejections coming in just as we leave for spring break, the pressure is on to make decisions about what is next. As we balance classes, extracurriculars, senior activities and the uncertainty of what to do after high school, many of us are experiencing what can best be described as apprehension, which is the anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen. 

Apprehension is shown in many ways such as physical, emotional, behavioral and more. For seniors, the most common and easy to spot occurrence of this is physically in small forms like taking a sigh when working on college applications or becoming anxious when a counselor asks what you want to do next. A huge part of this feeling also comes from a mix of excitement and being frightful of growing up in general. Even with all the conflicting emotions being worried, there is still hope. Hope for the past, hope for the present and especially hope for the future. This time is proof that change, while very uncomfortable at times, is very necessary. Seniors should embrace this season of letting go and stepping forward into something new. So class of 2026, what’s next?