I am days from beginning my first year of college. As I am packing up my things and looking back at memories from my high school years, I have thought of some things that I learned during my senior year of high school, and some advice that I wanted to pass on to this year's seniors.
The first and I think the most important piece of advice I have is, to treasure every moment. Your senior year goes by so fast, and before you know it, it will be over. Don't let yourself get carried away with complaining and feelings of senioritis. You may think that "all you wanna do is graduate," but let me tell you, once graduation day actually comes along you won't feel that way anymore. Instead of focusing on the stress and the negative aspects of school, focus on the positive things, like spending time with your friends and seeing all your favorite teachers. Don't take these things for granted, because this will be your last year to experience these things.
That being said, don't put too much pressure on your senior to be your "best year of high school." You will be able to enjoy it so much more if you just live in the moment and don't have too high expectations of "amazing senior year moments." Sometimes the simplest things, like eating lunch with your best friends or cracking jokes with your favorite teacher will be the best memories.
Organize all your college application materials, plans, and deadlines as early as possible to minimize stress. If you put off the college application process until the last minute, you will be so stressed and it will really put a damper on your year. On the other hand, don't put too much of your focus on college. Do what you need to do to be prepared for your applications, interviews, auditions, etc., but don't be worried about college all the time. That is easier said than done, of course, but you want to enjoy your senior year as much as you can. While I know that the college process is incredibly stressful, (especially for those applying to prestigious universities or to competitive performance programs) there is so much in this process that you cannot control, and dwelling on it will not help anything. Instead, make time to hang out with your friends, attend school events, do anything that will take your mind off of college stress and allow you to just enjoy the moments that you have.
Be as involved as you can. Try to say "yes" to as many opportunities as possible. Join a new club. Take on a leadership position in a group that you're already involved in. The more involved you are, the more you will take out of your senior year. You also may find some new passions that will help you in your career and college decisions. Also, try to go to as many school-sponsored events as possible. Go to the dances even if you don't have a date, attend the club's fundraisers, see the performances or sports games. You will make so many more memories, and I guarantee you won't regret it.
On the other hand, don't forget to take time for yourself, and don't be afraid to say no to things if you have to. Taking care of yourself is so important, and with so much stress surrounding college, schoolwork, and extracurriculars, it's easy to get burned out. Finding a balance between taking time for yourself and making the most of your time at school and with friends is vitally important for a successful senior year (and life, honestly.)
Remember that your high school years are special. You will never be in this same place with this same group of people again, and that's really cool. There may be some people that you don't get along with, some teachers that bother you, and some stressful assignments. But at the end of the day, your high school experience is something very unique that you can never get back. Enjoy while you can, despite all the bumps.
Just be yourself, live in the moment, and enjoy the ride. These are memories that will last you a lifetime.
