What is the one word that will incite emotion from every single senior at Nerinx Hall? College. During this time of year, seniors are rushing to turn in financial aid applications on time, fervently contacting potential roommates, sending grade reports, or perhaps relaxing, as their decision is already made. What stands out is that every single person and their process is different. Each person is at a different point of the process, and all are looking at different factors when making the college decision. To some, the cost might be the most important; for others, it might be the size of the school. Some people might want to stay close to home, while some may want to get as far away as they can. One thing that seniors all have in common, though, is the education and preparation that Nerinx Hall has given us.

Although seniors have lots of help, stress still peeks through during the process. After essays are written, applications are submitted, and financial aid applications are sent, the waiting game begins. When a small sample of the senior class was surveyed and asked on a scale of one to five how nervous college made them, where five being college made them so nervous they could barely think about it, over thirty percent ranked themselves a four. When asked how often they think about college, over twenty-five percent said they thought about college too many times to count. These responses show that while many seniors may look calm and collected on the outside, there could be a mountain of stress on the inside.

Many factors go into a college decision; location, size, sports, and cost are all huge pieces of the puzzle. One aspect that stands out is financial aid. For over fifty percent of the students surveyed, financial aid was a big factor in where they go to college. Money received from a college is hugely important to many Nerinx students and can change an entire college decision.

All of these different ideas, deadlines, and decisions are running around in most Nerinx seniors’ heads right now. Thankfully, we have the resources of teachers, counselors, and parents to help us out. The classes and education at Nerinx have helped the senior class feel prepared, and that preparation can take away at least one stressor. With a Nerinx Hall education, our students can go anywhere and still excel. However, that doesn’t mean the process still doesn’t stress us out from time to time. If you see a senior in the hall, tell them good luck.