In high school, endless pressures and stressful situations arise for students constantly. In the midst of the chaos, students at Benilde-St. Margaret’s tend to get wrapped up in the homework, activities, and commitments, so much so that they often look back and wonder where all the time has gone.

In addition, a lot of students yearn for the time they have lost because of the COVID pandemic that wiped away crucial moments of their childhoods. Many children spend a lot of their time on screens, when pediatricians were recommending the opposite. Studies show that spending a lot of time in front of screens can be detrimental to children’s development. “I’m not gonna be able to relive those years,” junior Emerson Rock said.

Many students look back on games and activities from their childhood that they wish they could still enjoy; growing up has meant sacrificing fun. Pastimes, games, and activities that are generally seen as “childish” could make the lives of teenagers less stressful. Junior Meredith Alinder expresses her dream to return to her childhood years, when life was simpler. “I would like to play with Barbies again. I wish it were socially acceptable. I wish that we could have fun again. I want to have fun,” Alinder said.

Research demonstrates that young adults in more recent years have had the expectation to choose their own path and be able to make decisions by themselves about their future without it being laid out for them. With that, a lot of studies show that depression rates increase when entering adulthood, because of the struggles and anxiety that come with the fear of growing up. “Becoming an adult is gonna be really sad, I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet,” Rock said.

While upperclassmen’s high school careers come to a close, freshmen are just getting started. Freshmen have varying perspectives on their future high school careers, and many see the seniors as role models. “I look up to Keegan Davis because he’s a leader,” freshman Frank Feste said.

Younger students tend to look up to the captains of the teams they are on, for example. They are examples for the team and set specific expectations for team dynamics. “I specifically look up to the seniors that play in the same sport that I do, because they’re good leaders, and they’re good role models for me, and I feel like they look after the underclassmen and give them good advice,” sophomore Rosie Fitzpatrick said.

Many freshmen also have a hard time grasping the reality that high school is passing by quickly. Some even feel like their freshman year is already moving too fast for them. “First semester has already gone by so fast, I know the rest will too,” freshman Evalyn Jacobs said.

Though they are only four years apart, freshmen and seniors are at very different points in their lives, and many seniors look back on their younger years feeling like it was just yesterday. Traditions in families also can tend to change and look different as kids get older, and everyone has less time. “I think about how my dad and I used to go to ice cream every Friday after Pre-K, or just like the things my family and I used to do as little kids, traditions that we don’t really do anymore,” Rock said.