It is no secret that every year of high school has its fair share of ups and downs. Freshman year is the intimidating start to the next four years. Sophomore year students face newfound challenges, Junior year is stressful, and Senior year is the bittersweet final year of high school. Despite the obvious fact that each year has its pros and cons, is there a year that it is best to be a Friar?
It is only right to begin with the infamous first year at Fenwick High School: Freshman year. This terrifying, yet exciting year is characterized by its fairly easy classes, meeting new people, getting lost in the hallways (don’t lie this happened to you), and the nerve-racking introduction to the next four years of a Friar’s life. It is also worth mentioning getting the phrase all Friars know well: “Four more years!” chanted at you during all-school assemblies. Catherine Quinn, a member of the class of 2025 said this was her favorite year of high school because she “enjoyed her classes the most and they weren’t as hard.” On the other hand, Ireland Reynoso from the class of 2024 said this was the worst year of high school because of “how much you get ‘bullied’ by the seniors.” Whether or not you enjoyed Freshman year, there is no denying its importance in the assimilation of life as a friar.
Following Freshman year is Sophomore year. Sophomore year is often associated with more difficult work in comparison to Freshman year, and it is the overwhelming least favorite year of High School. Mr. Wieckiewicz, a history teacher at Fenwick, as well as a member of the class of 2011 said Sophomore year is the worst because “you think that you have your feet on the ground and finally have the hang of this high school thing and then the work just gets harder and more numerous with no end in sight.” Catherine Quinn (2025) agreed, saying it was her least favorite year because of the “hard classes.”
Next is the infamous Junior year of high school, often called the most stressful and difficult year. This is often around the time students prep and take important standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT, as well as focus on raising their grades to meet their desired GPA. Izcalli Rodriguez, a member of the class of 2025, a current junior, said “Junior year is the worst because of the workload and the pressure put on grades and tests.” Although Junior year is stressful, it is important to remember hard work pays off! To help matters, you have Senior year, the overwhelmingly most enjoyed year to look forward to.
Although Senior year is the end of high school, and has its own fair share of stressors including college applications and admissions processes, it seems to be the most enjoyable year by far. Mrs. Esposito, a member of the class of 1996 stated her favorite year of high school was “definitely senior year” because of the memories including a “London trip during spring break with Mr. Finnell,” as well as “lots of great athletic events.” She also described the Kairos experience as her favorite memory because she “got to know the people from [her] class on a deeper level,” as well as “laid out a lifetime of feeling God’s love through amazing friendships and relationships.” Ireland Reynoso agreed that senior year is the best year socially as well, saying “everyone is close knit and you know the entire grade perfectly.” Another thing to look forward to is the summation of your hard work at the end of all four years. Mr. Wieckiewicz described this aspect of Senior year as “when all of your hard work pays off and you can really savor the time you have with friends while reminiscing about the good times you had.”
Whether or not you agree with the idea of Senior year being the best year, it is important to appreciate every year of high school in spite of the ups and downs you may face. Every year is an experience that students should enjoy while they last. Understand that although four years sounds like a long time, it goes by faster than you think. So, learn from your struggles, appreciate the good times, and enjoy yourself as a Friar!
