Congratulations! You made it past one of the most difficult years of high school. You should be very proud of yourself for making it this far, and now it’s finally time for you to enter the year of high school everyone looks forward to, senior year! There are many things that one should keep in mind during their senior year, and many things that seniors should do and should know in order to have a fun, fulfilling, and successful year.

1. Summer college tours are not a reliable representation of the school You may get to see if you like the campus, but you don’t meet the dean, the professors, or the students to ask any questions that the tour guide won’t be able to answer.
2. Apply early action The earlier you apply the better chance you have to get admitted to the school and receive a scholarship.

3. Keep your grades up Even though colleges don’t really care about your final transcript as long as you pass, its always better to be safe than sorry.

4. Don’t care about drama or what other people think This is the last year you will see 95% of the people in your class, it is just not worth it.

5. Don’t have your heart set on a school too early The decision deadline is May 1st for a reason, you might find another school you’ve never heard of and like it better, or receive a lot of money from another school. Just keep your mind and options open.
6. Go to prom You might think it’s stupid, but it is a good time with your friends and that’s all what matters!

7. Go to senior banquet Again, you might think it’s stupid, but trust me when I say you will have a good time.
   

8. Hang out with your friends This is the last year you get to see your high school friends on a day to day basis and hang out often on the weekends. Even if it’s just a game night, you will cherish every moment you had with them.
9. Always check your email for free applications What’s better then saving money and potentially finding a school you like that you’ve may have never heard of before.

10. Join a club or a sport just for the heck of it It’s your senior year, who cares! If it looks like fun, go for it!

11. Be prepared that senior year will be very stressful at times In the fall when there’s SATs, writing college essays, applying to college, extra-curricular activities, college visits and open houses all on top of school work, and it gets pretty stressful. Just know that once you finally have taken care of all of your college work, it gets much better.

12. Have a “Teacher Friend” Want a good Teacher Recommendation? Want somewhere to go during those boring study halls? Definitely find a teacher that you can do all that with, plus it’s just nice to have a good connection with one.

13. Fulfill graduation requirements before the final deadline Don’t stress yourself out by waiting to do those 15 hours of community service 3 days before graduation, give yourself sometime so you can enjoy the end of the year.

14. Appreciate the little things you may have always taken for granted Fall morning drives, mornings where your parents bought you coffee, coming home from school and having plenty of food, there are so many small things that we take for granted.

15. Talk to more people Some of the closest friends I have were made during senior year, so make sure you talk to people you haven’t before.
16. Time to time, remember that this is your final year Throughout the year you are going to moan and about how bad you want to get out of high school, but take a few minutes to realize this is your final year and that even though it won’t seem like you will miss it, trust me, you will.

17. Get a job Don’t wait until the end of the year to see if you can find a job before you go away, they aren’t that available and you will need as much money as you can get before going away to college.

18. Take lots of pictures Pictures build memories, and memories last a life time.
19. Graduate with no regrets It’s one of the greatest moments you will feel your entire life, so have fun and live in the moment!