As I’m starting my final year of college and actively denying that my four years are coming to a close way sooner than I’d like, I can’t help but remember where I was four Septembers ago. I was just starting my senior year of high school, stressing about college and senior quotes for the yearbook, and thinking we had it made because we finally got to go out for lunch every day (even though it lasted 22 minutes and there were approximately four places we could choose from for lunch). Senior year was definitely one for the books, but if I could go back and do it again, there are some tips I would give my 17-year-old self. To any high school seniors itching to get this year over with and move on to bigger and better things, here are some things I wish someone had told me.
Don’t focus on the drama.
There will be prom drama, and drama over what should be the group costume for senior dress up day, and a whole bunch of other silly things. It’s inevitable that it will happen and it is so easy to get caught up in it all. But try not to make it the focus of your attention! It’s your last year of high school and you should be enjoying yourself, not arguing about who’s going to be in the prom limo. It really is true what they say: a year from now or maybe even a month from now, you’ll be laughing at everything that seems so important right now.
Appreciate your teachers.
You have some really great teachers right now who really care about you and your success, both here and in your future. There’s a lot of things you learn in high school that you may forget, but there will be some things that will be cemented into your brain forever, and you will later realize that it was because those teachers were dedicated, passionate, creative, and all-around awesome. They work really hard to prepare you for college and for real life, which is a really intimidating job if you think about it. Thank them now in advance for making your high school career unique, for engaging you in the material, and thank the extra special ones for making a difference in your life.
Don’t get your heart set on one school.
There will be times that you go visit a school and you just fall in love the moment you step on campus. Maybe they have a really great pre-med program, or the dorms are brand new, and it seems like it is the perfect fit for you. But don’t close yourself off to other options! There are a million and one colleges out there and every one of them has something unique to offer. Not every school is for everyone, but there also may not be just one school that will provide you with a wonderful home for four years and a memorable college experience. You can write the best college essay in the world and turn in the most perfect, polished resume, but you can’t control fate. You may not end up where you initially thought you would, and that is okay! Everything happens for a reason and if your big plans don’t pan out exactly the way you hoped, there must be something better on its way.
Make memories and enjoy your friendships.
That being said, enjoy the time you have left in high school, because pretty much everything you’ve ever known is about to change. Go out and make memories with the people who have been by your side these past four years, or maybe even the past twelve. Take the time during senior year to get to know people you haven’t been as close with in past years, and be friendly to everyone. Once you graduate, you may never see some of these people again, except for the occasional Facebook or Instagram post, or run-in at the local gym. Even if not everyone in your graduating class is your friend, it’s still nice to take advantage of the little time you all have left together. As for your close friends, you may stay tight once you all go your separate ways post-graduation, and that’s great. But you also might not: some friendships will drift off, and the group dynamic will change. That’s okay too, but why not enjoy the time you have left together and make the most of your high school experience?
Spend time with mom and dad.
Your friends and classmates aren’t the only thing you’ll be leaving behind when you go away to college: you’ll be seeing a lot less of your parents, too. At this point, they are probably driving you nuts and you can’t wait to move out. But don’t be so quick to grow up and leave! While you might anticipate that you’ll miss their home-cooked meals and the fact that they don’t charge you for doing your laundry (trust me), you’ll also miss Dad’s lame jokes and Mom’s reminders to get off Facebook and actually do your homework (seniors do still have some work to do, don’t forget). They are your biggest cheerleaders and will be supportive of you whether you go off to college an hour away or across the country, but it will be different when you don’t live at home with them anymore. So, take them up on their offer to have a family movie night or go get ice cream, and make sure you come home for dinner instead of always grabbing Panera with your friends.
Do your work, but enjoy your classes.
At this point in your high school career, you’re probably totally checked out and graduation somehow feels impossibly far away yet also right around the corner. You’re suffering from senioritis and focusing on schoolwork seems unrealistic, but needless to say, you do still have to pass all these classes to make it to the end (who knew?). And don’t bank on just coasting through – often times, colleges will request your senior year grades and take them into account when they’re deciding whether or not to accept you. If you’ve always had A’s in math class and suddenly your grades start tanking, college admissions counselors will notice. Also, even though there’s so many other things you’d rather be doing than writing that AP English paper or studying for a Calc test, don’t write off all the classes you’re taking. It’s senior year and you probably have time for Advanced Ceramics or that cool internship you’ve always wanted to do. Take advantage of taking anything you want if you have the free space – just because you have four more years of education in college to explore classes and your major doesn’t mean you shouldn’t and can’t take advantage of these years, too.
Sometimes, senior year isn’t the most fun time ever – and that is okay.
If senior year just isn’t turning out to be as fun as the movies and older friends have made it out to be, don’t stress that you are “doing it wrong”. Sometimes, senior year is stressful and not every second is going to be fun and awesome. You’re so worried about having the perfect college application and being accepted to all the schools you apply to, and that can be overwhelming. But, have no fear, because senior year gets the best of all of us sometimes. Don’t put pressure on yourself to have fun plans every single weekend, and definitely don’t compare your experience to senior year as told by the media, because nobody’s life is like that 100% of the time. And on the not-so-fun days, know that what is coming is everything you hope it will be and more. College is one of the best experiences of your life, and it’ll be here before you know it!
Enjoy the college application process (or at least try to).
I will be the first to admit that going on a million college tours, filling out the common app, and agonizing over those supplemental essays wasn’t my favorite thing about senior year. But now, when I see those tour groups walking around campus looking all nervous and excited, I get the urge to tell them how lucky they are and how jealous I am of them. You are entering such a unique time in your life when you start looking at colleges. It’s one of the first of many big decisions you’re going to make for yourself about your future, and we live in a world where there are millions of opportunities at your fingertips. So, go on the tours and read the brochures and try to have some fun, because you won’t have limitless opportunities to start over completely and reinvent yourself and your life once college is over.
Don’t wish away the time!
It is so easy to rush through senior year and blame everything on senioritis. At this point, you’re probably starting to feel like you’re “so over” high school and are ready to move on. But don’t be so eager to get out, because believe me, once second semester hits you’ll realize how close the end is and you’ll start wishing everything would just slow down. That’s not to say you shouldn’t keep your eyes on the prize and get excited about your post-high school plans, but don’t forget to slow down and cherish this time! College will be great, but there’s nothing quite like senior year. Go to all the senior events and dances, because years from now, you’ll want to look back and have positive memories from this time.