By Ethan Walshe
Editor-In-Chief

Three-quarters. I am at this point three-quarters done with my high school career. It seems astounding; I remember my first day here as if it were yesterday. But the fact of the matter is that for the class of 2014 there is still a year left to go.

Senior year can seem daunting. The notion of applying to college is so alarming for me right now that I scarcely believe that it is a quickly approaching reality. But before I go gallivanting off to wherever it is that I may go, I have another year of classes, another year of Westford, and another year of WA.

I guess since I’ve spent three years looking at seniors move on I should know what to expect of this coming year. But the truth is I’m just not sure at this stage. I’ve seen people who become overly stressed, people who seem to check out at the beginning of the year. I’ve seen people dismayed over numerous college rejections, and I’ve seen people elated that they got into their dream schools. I’ve seen people have to say goodbye to their best of friends.

I like to think that I’ve signed myself up for a pretty challenging schedule next year, so in all likelihood my life could take a turn for the stressful. But I think I’m up for it. I think that I have reached a point in my life where I know how to handle myself, I know my limits, and I know what I have to do and when I have to do it. I aim to enjoy myself next year, but it looks like I’m going to have to work very hard to find the time to do so.

To my second point, college is just around the corner, but even more pressing is the notion of applying places, and ultimately being accepted somewhere. But the reality is that we will all have to contend with rejection, some of us from our dream schools. Of course I am worried.

Maybe it’s just my tendency to lean toward pessimism that leaves me feeling less concerned than I ought to be about this whole college process. I’ve already told myself that I will not get into the school I want to just to make it seem easier. Maybe that’s just how it works for me.

And what else do I expect from this senior year? Am I supposed to look forward to prom and Disney and my own graduation (June 6, 2014, not that I’ve been counting)? Or am I to slowly realize that this is the last year that I will spend seeing my best friends everyday or walking the halls of a place that I’ve become quite fond of? While the latter of the two options is certainly more negative it is something with which everyone will have to contend.

We will not all be going to the same places and we will not be doing the same things. This coming year will be the last one that many people will spend with the people with whom they have cemented their firmest friendships before we each go our separate ways.

But we needn’t worry. My father has long told me that these friendships that I have made will stay with me forever; the man probably knows what he’s talking about, because even though it’s been 30 plus years since his graduation and there’s now an ocean between them, his best friend from high school still calls every week.

So do not worry. Do not let yourself get overwhelmed with your last year, and do not let yourself get down because you may miss the people you’ve come to love in your past three years here. After all, there’s still one more year.