Taking Advantage of Senior Year

Your entire high school experience you're just waiting to get out and onto the next thing, whatever that may be. For a lot of students that may be college. But before you rush out the door, it's important that you soak up your last bit of high school. There is more to senior year than just applying to college and going to prom, so live it up, and don't forget to take advantage of the time.

Get Organized and Start Early

A big part of senior year, especially if you're looking to go to college, will consist of applying to colleges. This will include visiting colleges and universities, asking questions, filling out applications, writing essays, gathering letters of recommendation, and so much more. To be sure not to spend your entire senior year preparing for each piece of the college application process, I encourage you to get organized and start early. This may include creating a spreadsheet of all your application deadlines, missing materials, and admissions contacts. Or, maybe you're more of a paper person and you make a checklist for yourself. Whatever method works best for you — do it. Staying organized during this process is the most important thing. Starting early will also help you get it all out of the way so that all that is left for you to do your senior year is enjoy the ride and wait for the decisions to start trickling in.

You don't want to look back on high school and realize you stayed in a box the entire time and didn't try anything new, so do it now!

Start Saving Money

By now, even in high school, I'm sure you've heard about the "college budget." It's no joke — living on your own and paying for textbooks, food, and other things you want gets expensive. To help yourself down the line, I recommend starting to save money during senior year. Whether you start stockpiling money that you get in birthday cards or you take up a part-time job on the weekends, or over the summer before college, I highly recommend that you start filling up your piggy banks. Your future self will thank you!

Try Something New!

During senior year, it can be hard to focus on anything but academics — taking the most AP and Honors courses in order to stand out to colleges and universities or taking college courses in order to get ahead. While this is a good tactic, maybe try out something new during this time. This could be adding a class to your schedule that you just want to take for fun or joining a club related to something that you're passionate about. This is a great time to get out of your comfort zone and start experimenting with interests that you may want to continue once you are in college, where the opportunities are endless. But this doesn't just have to be school related; you can try out cooking for yourself, doing your own laundry, or just staying fit. Remember — no one is going to do these things for you once you're in college, so it may be good to get a head start so you don't have to ask your roommate how to fold a t-shirt when you realize no one taught you how. You don't want to look back on high school and realize you stayed in a box the entire time and didn't try anything new, so do it now!

Don't Let Your Grades Slip

About midway through senior year, it is fairly common that students fall ill with "senioritis" — the decline in motivation during senior year. I get it, you're tired of high school, maybe you've already gotten a letter of admission from your top choice, which is huge! But now is not the time to give up on your academics. Many colleges will take a look at how you did in your courses senior year, and the last thing we want to happen is for them to take your admission away. While this doesn't happen often, it CAN happen. So, don't let your grades slip just because you are trying to take my advice and enjoy senior year. You can do well in school while having fun and taking advantage of the time.

Thank Your Support System

In the past 18 years, there have been a lot of people that have helped you and supported you through your academics, sports, clubs, personal life, and more. Don't forget that while this is a time to celebrate your success, it's also time to thank those around you who have been here for you and supported you. These may be your teachers, coaches, counselors, friends, but it's also your family — siblings, parents, guardians, grandparents, etc. Moving on to college, they may not be within an arm's reach, so hug them and tell them you appreciate them while they're still close by.

Enjoy It!

Remember, you are only a senior in high school once. There will be so much to celebrate and so many events that are just for you. It'll be your last high school football game, last homecoming dance, last prom, and likely the last time being so close to this many people in your hometown. So, soak it up. Take all the pictures and don't miss out on a single moment. This is the end of a chapter, but it is the start of a very exciting one. Enjoy every moment of it because it is one you won't be able to get back.