Senior year is the most overrated and underrated year of high school. The number of unforgettable memories I have made are just about the same amount of times I needed graduation to come sooner. Your final year will be met with conflicting advice from alumni and there isn’t exactly a senior year guide with steps to having a perfect senior year, and if there was, I probably wouldn’t read it because there is no “perfect year.” It will get bumpy and you will pull all-nighters to get things done, but that’s just part of the process. Essentially, your year is what you make of it, but it wouldn’t hurt to read a few tips before diving in. Here are a few things I wish I knew entering my senior year along with a handful of my classmates:

1. College Applications

College applications are without a doubt the most important thing about senior year. Your top priority should be getting these done and sent out. Get it done and out of the way. While you’re at it, try and hit those early action deadlines. Early action will increase your chances of getting in to your dream school. But at the same time, make sure your application is the best it can be. Don’t send in your application in if it’s rushed or not well composed just because you want to get it in the early action pool.

Pro tip: Burn your social security number into your mind. You’re going to use it a billion times and you don’t want to worry about fixing applications later.

Another pro tip: Make sure your colleges received your application. Things happen and sometimes your application might not reach the school. Most colleges send an email stating they received it. If you don’t get that email saying they got the application, make a phone call asap.

2. FAFSA

The FAFSA application is very tedious and annoying and you’re going to want to procrastinate on that, but get it done; many colleges have priority FAFSA deadlines. Don’t miss out on free money people. They mean it when they say “first come, first serve.”

3. Don’t Slack

Senioritis is a real thing. If you’re an underclassman and already think you have it, trust me when I say you haven’t seen anything yet until you have a 54 in AP Macroeconomics and you’re contemplating on whether or not it’s worth your time boosting the grade. You’ll be surprised at yourself with the lack of motivation to get good grades and to show up to your first period class on time; if you even show up at all. Don’t let that voice in your head lead you to slack in school. If you’re on the cusp of being accepted into a college, many times they will ask for your first quarter grades; maybe even your half year grades. It could be the dealbreaker for your dream school.

4. It’s Never Too Late To Reinvent Yourself

You’re going to have an image that you created for yourself by the time senior year has rolled around. With that being said, don’t be afraid to change and try something new. So much can happen in one year. You don’t have to stick to the mold you spent years creating for yourself. You think you found yourself in high school but the truth is you’re going to find yourself many times throughout your life. As life goes on, you change and grow with it.

5. Make A Lot Of Memories

Savor the moments. It might not be the last time you do the activity but it will be the last time you do it in high school with your high school friends. In college, you won’t be with the same friends. You won’t have that friend that goes on a midnight drive with you, you won’t have that friend that backs you up in a volleyball game, and you won’t have that friend to talk to during scene blocking. Cherish every night adventure, team bonding, rehearsal, game, etc. Your senior night/final performance is going to come before you know it. Same thing goes for when all your friends start to leave for school.

Pro tip: Make sure your senior prank is cool.

6. Drop The Dead Weight

You’re gonna have to do things to bulk up your college application to come across as a well-rounded applicant. Some of which might include honor societies you hate, clubs that bore you, or sports that just aren’t fun anymore. Just drop them. Keep the important stuff on your agenda even if it isn’t exactly your favorite thing to do but drop the activities you hate with a burning passion. When you drop those irrelevant activities, invest that extra time and energy into activities that make you happy and are hopefully a helpful addition to your application.

7. Your Friend Group Might Be Extremely Different At The End Of The Year

Drama is unavoidable during high school. You might have had a blow out with your best friend during sophomore year and don’t speak anymore or you just drifted away because you don’t hang out anymore. If you’re missing a person’s presence in your life, suck up your pride and make amends. You don’t have time to lose with these special people. Keep the friends who love and support you unconditionally close and never let them go. In contrast, there are some people who you’re going to have to cut ties with. Like I said before, you don’t have time to waste, especially on people who bring negativity to your life. If these people don’t support your dreams, don’t lift your energy, don’t meet you halfway, and/or don’t respect you, drop them. Burn those bridges and know that they will light your way.

8. Rejection Letters

Rejection letters. The things everyone dread the most. I was lucky enough to get two waitlist letters from my top two schools on the same day. Great right? When I got the second waitlist letter I actually wondered if there was a secret day where all colleges send their waitlist letters. I never saw it coming but it is what it is, and that’s just it. It is what it is. Sometimes you forget that nothing is ever really set in stone. Just because you didn’t get into your top school doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it just means your plans to success have changed.

9. Don’t Sweat it

We get so caught up with balancing all of the above that we forget to breathe. Senior year is YOUR year. If it’s not gonna matter in a few years, don’t stress about it. Everything falls into place one way or another.

10. Believe Me When I Say It Goes By Quick

They weren’t exaggerating when they said the time goes by in the blink of an eye. You're gonna be told this million times and it'll definitely be annoying. I scoffed and internally groaned every time I heard it. But throughout the year you’re going to realize how fast every month is going by and how quickly things are coming up. It’ll be over before you know it.

Pro tip: make it count.

All in all, I’m content with how I spent my senior year. There is no one special way to do it, your final year is what you make of it. On your graduation day, you’re going to sit back and realize all of the fun and struggles all led to this moment and you’re gonna tell yourself that you did alright. That anxiety about the next chapter of your life will dissipate as you end your high school journey because you’ll know you’re ready. You just gotta take it one step at a time.