Senior year can be daunting: not only are you taking your toughest courses and preparing for more standardized tests, but you’re also involved in a thousand campus organizations, not to mention the hundreds of applications you are sending off in the attempt to figure out what the next step in your life is. Take a deep breath, follow our “Dos and Don’ts of Senior Year” and you will not only survive but thrive in what could have been the welcoming of the four horsemen.
Get your applications (and assignments) in EARLY—before the end begins. Yes, senioritis is kicking in. Yes, these last few classes may be the last you will ever take. All the more reason to make them the best! If you get your applications in early, you increase chances of getting quick responses which in turn takes away some of the last minute stress of figuring out what your life will look like after college. Submitting assignments early now helps establish a reputation for diligence which may encourage your professors tend to be more lenient if you need to ask for an extension for a paper later in the semester. Prioritize: get your applications in to whatever jobs or graduate schools you can as early as possible. If it comes down to an application and a homework assignment being due on the same night at midnight and it’s 11:30 (which it shouldn’t be because you’ve turned in your assignments and applications early) focus your energy on the application. By now, if you go to Georgia College, your professors know you. Your future employers do not. Professors really can be understanding if you approach them correctly and politely. They understand the pressures of senior year. They’ve been there. Just remember the piggy bank rule of brownie points: you have to score good student points with your professors before you can cash them in for extensions.
Survival is a team effort–Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have an exceptionally busy week, where you feel so overwhelmed you aren’t sure you’ll make it to Friday, ask the people in your life to help you out. Life is a team effort. Chances are, this week, you aren’t doing your best work, getting enough sleep, or eating well. Email Mom your essay questions and resume for revision and review. If she doesn’t have a busy week, ask your roommate to grab dinner this week so you don’t survive on Cheerios and Ramen. Get notes from your friend in the lecture class that doesn’t take attendance to get some extra study time in. Of course, be prepared to return those same favors when asked of you.
Time is running out! Schedule your time realistically (with time for yourself). Schedule your study hours at times you will realistically be able to focus. Know how long it will REALLY take you to finish that paper, and then don’t check Facebook while you’re writing it. This way, you can plan time for yourself. Take a Friday to yourself doing whatever it is that relaxes you: creating a homemade spa day, taking a nice long hike enjoying the fall leaves, paint a canvas or two to decorate your room. Plan weekends with your friends, making some of the lasting memories you’ll be chortling over at business dinners to come.
Don’t back out of the commitments you’ve already made. These people can become your biggest allies in recommendation letters, so don’t let that organization down. It may seem pointless during your last year to doing anything except get through classes, finish your applications and party it up, but if you contribute to these organizations now, it will give you something to talk about in your interviews (because goodness knows you can’t twist that party last weekend into a discussion on community service!) The people in your organization know you’re busy… and they will appreciate your commitment even more for it. Don’t be lazy. Don’t make excuses. Go to the meetings, return the emails, and be responsible. Real responsibility is coming, and it’s worth the practice.
Keep hope alive and keep your motivation levels high! Schedule naps for yourself. Reward each paper written with a snack break and a ten minute dance party. Exercise! There is a mind/body connection. So, instead of getting too bogged down by sitting down for hours to do your work, reenergize yourself with some movement. Try to get excited about your classes in any way you can. It may sound silly, and cheesy, but as far as excitement goes, sometimes you have to fake it till you make it. Find reasons that you love each class. You may have a really cute boy in your thesis class, one class may have a really entertaining teacher, even if it is simply a countdown of the classes left in your college career, find a way to motivate yourself to go to class. Remember that this is your last year of college; you need it to make an impact, but you also want to have fun. Stay positive and make your planner your best friend and you may actually look back fondly on this year!
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