1. How has your senior year been?
Michael Arnwine ‘24:
“Stressful, very stressful. Well, because if you sign up like me, unfortunately, to take a lot of hard classes and then you have to do college apps on top of that, it’s a lot. There’s a lot of people (I think I’ve heard in previous years) say second semester is easier in a way because you don’t have the college apps. I would disagree because mentally it’s a lot more of a toll because you’re thinking , ‘oh my god they could be actively talking about me as we speak’, so it’s just a lot of pressure. It’s also what you make of it too. You’ve got to surround yourself with people who can uplift you, help you, and can hear your cries at night.”
Vy Lan Chin ‘24:
“It really depends on how much effort you want to put in for your future, if that makes any sense. For example, I had a lot of difficulties with like time management because I didn’t think it was that important, but then as I reached the end of senior year, obviously burnt out hit then, but it hits a lot harder knowing that you’re doing all of this for yourself, so then it sort of like re-sparked my efforts, if that made any sense. Sort of like ‘this is for me, this is for college, I need to actually work till the end so sort of like a dip right in the middle (like senior slides at the bottom) and then you start heading back up. Like semester one, you have a certain goal you’re working towards. It’s just like get your applications in and do well, but by the end of the uncertainty, it’s just really hard to manage, but at that point it’s just like a lot of emotional stress that’s difficult to deal with.”
Anvika Vasireddy ‘24:
“It also depends what happens with your college applications because if you are in college early and you know that’s settled, it partly takes the stress away because having to wait for the colleges to get back to you is a lot mentally even if you’re not physically doing anything.”
2. What has been the best part of your senior year?
Michael Arnwine ‘24:
“I think the people. My friends, hanging out with them, that was great.”
Vy Lan Chin ‘24:
“Final sports season, at least for me, was really fun since it’s your last one.”
“Senior assassins goes crazy. It’s fun to watch.”
Colleen Mayer ‘24:
“I love senior night; that’s my favorite.”
3.What has been your favorite memory throughout your whole time at PDS?
Vy Lan Chin ‘24:
“Senior skip day was actually really fun. We went to a friend’s house and just baked cookies.”
“My semester abroad in Colorado. I would do it again; it was great.”
Colleen Mayer ‘24:
“Going to Rome”
4.What are you going to miss the most about PDS?
Vy Lan Chin ‘24:
“The community”
5.Is there a PDS faculty member/teacher/coach that has made an impact on your life?
Vy Lan Chin ‘24:
“Senora Scheil, the love of my life, deserves a shoutout. Best Spanish teacher in the whole wide world. Please don’t retire!”
Natalie Wilner ‘24:
“Mr. Park”
Angela Cerna ‘24:
“Mr. Cook – He’s helped me a lot and not just through photography stuff but just being my advisor.”
Michael Arnwine ‘24:
“Dr. Bethoney – She is awesome. I was slightly low key intimidated by her at first, but once you get to know her, the humor is like elite”
6.What advice would you give to PDS Upper School students in general?
Vy Lan Chin ‘24:
“Mentally prepare yourself. Comparison is the thief of joy; don’t do it”
Michael Arnwine ‘24:
“Don’t put your self worth on where you get into college because it’s much more than that.”
Colleen Mayer ‘24:
“Don’t compare yourself to others whether it’s colleges or grades or just like in class”
