Is senior year the best year?

Seventh grade year is an exciting year because of the prospect of meeting new people. One hundred forty students come from different schools, guaranteeing that you will make new friends. Seventh graders enjoy greater freedom than at their previous schools, they experience Friday Night Lights, and most importantly, they learn to adapt to a new environment.

Eighth grade year is another developmental year as students step into the leadership position by welcoming new students on campus and guiding them through middle school. Acting as middle school leaders, they are, in reality, preparing themselves for four years of college preparatory high school.

Freshman year is when you officially take a step into the high school world as your class is joined by 50 new students. You are now expected to take the skills you learned in middle school and apply them to your new courses. With this shift to high school, your academic performance becomes more important as you begin to build the footprint you will take to the college application process. For the first time, freshman attend the high school dances and get the opportunity to earn their letter jacket.   

Sophomore year is a life-changing year for most students. The sense of freedom students fist felt as seventh graders is now heightened as the opportunity of a drivers license and a car presents itself after turning 16. Due to this leap in responsibility, sophomores become more independent and free and start to control their lives a bit more. Many students start to figure out what they want to do with their last three years of high school and potentially beyond.

Junior year comes with the ACT, SAT, and college preparation. Most students have experienced varsity-level activities by now, and they will start to plan their futures beyond high school. Students begin to look into potential colleges and develop a sense of what they want from the years that lie ahead.

Senior year is the final year of high school, when you are expected to act as leaders for the entire school. Seniors will experience prom for the first (and only) time, and you hear this phrase hundreds of times: “It is senior year, let’s just do it.”

After attending Marist for six years, there is no “best year” in my eyes. Marist is a small pond with many fish. No matter the grade level, the goal of the this experience is to become a contributing and influential member of society. Making mistakes and learning from them is expected. Taking advantage of this beautiful experience is the best way to achieve this goal.

Each year contributes to this growth in its own way.