Tick-Tock to Graduation 2023. Photo Courtesy of Arts and Entertainment Editor Olivia Cusick.

  June 9, 2023.

The date seniors at San Luis Obispo High School have patiently waited for since that first day of Kindergarten. Now that graduation looms nearby, seniors’ motivations are quickly draining.

   Provided that seniors had completed all other credits, the four courses needed to graduate are Government, Economics, and two trimesters of English. Students taking these classes may face severe stress, as failure to pass these classes could result in failure to graduate. 

  “I wake up and want to go back to sleep. I want to never look at my backpack again but sadly my life depends on this so here we go again,” said senior Sophia Campbell.

   After AP tests, applying to colleges, and finishing core classes, junior year melded into senior. Now, the year is half over, and picking up a pencil can be as strenuous as running a mile. 

   “I’m juggling fifty things and telling myself ten are supposed to be fun and the rest are my parents say are good for my future. My excutivites have never really functioned but right now they’re rioting and I’m trying to hold them off” said an anonymous senior.
    AP students are feeling burnout significantly. After years of taking college-level courses, they are ready for a break. 

  Burnt-out students have the option of graduating early, depending on their credit compilation. The students who chose to graduate early may feel a sense of relief and accomplishment but ultimately will face even more stress when they go to higher education after a six-month break. 

  “I lowkey feel like my senior year is on a stick of dynamite so I just end up watching ‘disney plus’ instead of doing homework to cherish my time,” said senior Holly Schmitt

  Senior year is not a relaxing walk in the park to reflect on the last 12 years. More than anything, it feels like the last painful sprint to the finish line, only to realize four more years lay behind.