As the end of the first semester arrives, many seniors are thrilled that the last five months of the school year are finally here; cue the senioritis. Some seniors, however, have already reached their final weeks at Lane after preparing to receive their diplomas one semester early.

Each year, a handful of seniors are able to graduate early. After completing enough credits and taking their semester one finals, they are officially considered high school graduates. They will still be recognized at UIC Pavilion come June, and walk across the stage with the rest of their classmates.

“I attended the Taft Academic Center, where I took high school level classes and received high school credits for [them],” Kieran Pantig, Div. 563, said. Students who have attended Taft have a history of being given the chance to graduate early, as they are almost always a year ahead in the required courses of English, math, and science. For some, this is an ideal opportunity, as they now have twice as much time to plan for the upcoming fall.

“I intend on working as soon as I graduate, and possibly taking classes at a community college to get some gen eds out of the way. Graduating early works perfectly because it gives me extra time to carefully plan out my future, and make a smooth transition into a new part of my life,” Pantig said.

Pantig’s family plans to move to California, where he intends to eventually enroll at a California university, after establishing residency and qualifying for in-state tuition.

“[Graduating early] is worth it because I’ll definitely be more productive out of school, and I’ll be making more valuable use of my time,” Pantig said. However, not everyone feels the same as Pantig. Erin Ross, Div. 554, was a student at the Taft Academic Center as well.

“I actually took graduating early into serious consideration but I chose not to. I have a great group of friends that I want to enjoy my last year with, and I want to experience International Days, prom, and all that fun stuff with them,” Ross said.

Although those who graduate early do still get the opportunity to be a part of the ceremonial graduation walk, they are not allowed to participate in the annual I-Days event, a student favorite at Lane. They are allowed to attend prom with dates but have to contact Ms. Hanly directly for a ticket.

“Another reason was because there were still some classes I wanted to take at Lane. I had heard such great things about Psychology and P.E. leaders, and I really didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to take those classes,” Ross said.

Many view senior year as a chance to take advantage of the wide range of electives offered. Ross enrolled in these classes as a way to make good use of her time, while also finding a way to pile on the AP courses. Ross is currently in three AP classes, including AP Seminar, APES, and AP Psych.

“I don’t like that I still have to wake up at 6 a.m. and spend eight long hours at school. But I’m not entirely sure what I would do with my time if I graduated early. [This way] I have more time to prepare myself for college and get everything ready,” Ross said.

One of Ross’ main reasons for opting out of graduating early is being able to spend the remainder of her senior year with her close group of friends. Natalia Kaniewska, Div. 567, is one of these friends, and also has stacked up enough credits to graduate a semester early. She, too, has chosen not to.

“I found out that some of my colleges required four years of math and that my admission might be at stake,” Kaniewska said.

She views graduating early as an effective way to make money and save up for college, but did not think it was worth the risk of being declined admittance, or missing out on the end of senior year experiences with her friends.

“Plus, some of the classes I am in are rigorous. They might help me transition come college,” Kaniewska said.

The final semester has arrived, and seniors still enrolled continue to battle the onslaught of senioritis, as well as the feelings of nostalgia vs. apathy. On June 9, those who have graduated early and those who have not will reconvene as a class, for the last time.