Upon popular belief, I strongly believe that senior year should be the best year. However, how fun is too fun?

Taking three college classes, I have found myself being challenged, yet not to the point where I am constantly stressed out. I have time for sports, church, and my friends during the school year, making this the best year for me yet. Many people believe that senior year is the year to slack off, whereas others believe seniors need to take as many AP classes as possible to save money for college. I know many people whose schedules are packed full of AP classes. Some students can handle it, and some cannot. I have been torn between both sides– I personally love taking hard classes and challenging myself, but I think there is a line to be drawn as to what is too much.

Each student is different and has their own capacity for workloads and homework; some students are involved in many extracurricular activities while others are only committed to their school work. I think kids should challenge themselves at least a little during senior year because success is the product of hard work. Kids can’t expect to grow as a student if they choose not to challenge themselves, however, this is the final year of high school. School is more than just homework and tests. When I grow older, I’m not going to remember the nights I stayed up until midnight studying for an exam, but I will always cherish the memories I have made throughout my four years of involvement in cross country, track, and marching band. Although challenging classes are great for college preparation, kids also need to be able to ration out their time and energy for their friends and family outside of school.