“It’s nothing like I thought it would be….”

Senior year is supposed to be fun, carefree, and the time of your life. And while one senior here at Bethel High School, 17-year-old Kevin Vaughn (’12), is enjoying himself – taking “a lot of fun classes with many friends,” he is quick to point out all the stress this final year brings.

“This year has a lot of expectations to live up to,” Vaughn says, “It’s supposed to be a ton of fun, which makes the amount of work we are given even worse.”

The click of the mouse track and the bland image of commonapp.org becomes a daily image for seniors not only in Bethel High School but all around the world. “The applications are endless,” Vaughn states, with supplements specific to each school and dozens of steps required just to provide personal information.

As if the applications and essays are not enough, senior year students are required to fill out brag sheets, ask for teacher recommendations, and still maintain their GPA’s. “It’s all just really stressful….it’s like I don’t know where to start.”

While Vaughn admits he’s been “slacking a little bit on the whole process” he now has narrowed his list of schools down. “UConn is my first choice, but Fairfield University, Roger Williams, Eastern, and Sacred Heart, are all on my list as well.” Kevin, an active participant in marketing and business classes, is very interested in the field of business and finance. “I am pretty positive that I want to spend the rest of my life in one or both of those fields” he says.

All the stress Vaughn and many other graduates of the 2012 class are undergoing right now eventually will pay off. “Once we get past application season, it’s easy sailing from there.”

After applications are in, seniors simply will be stuck at a standstill waiting for answers about where they will spend the next four years of their lives. “I think that is when this will all get exciting” Vaughn says. “It’ll be nice to make a decision I’m happy with and thrilled about.”

As the excitement and unforgettable times of senior year finally com, they soon leave, and the bittersweet realization that a major chunk of your life is over sets in. “It’s scary to think that Bethel will be a place I come to every couple of months,” Vaughn says. “But I’m excited to see what the future holds.”