Senior year in high school can be rough. Students have what feels like a million things to think about at any given point of the day as everything from the last 18 years of their education is coming to a close. I understand that, I went through it and I went on to a University that rewarded me for handling all of it well; so, here is my advice to you, seniors.

1.) Don’t lose motivation or catch too deadly a case of “senioritis.”

I know, this can be incredibly tough but colleges are going to look at how you continued to perform in your last semester in high school so don’t treat it as though it doesn’t matter. A minute of fun in exchange for a night of no homework will not pay off in the long run.

2.) Don’t forget to have a little fun.

This is your last year in highschool, so don’t forget that this year is going to contain a lot of “lasts.” Last sports game, last musical performance, last AP test, last cafeteria lunch, etc. And, whether you’ve enjoyed high school or not, don’t forget to try to enjoy this last year. After all, never again will you get to go back.

3.) Be nice to your parents.

Your relationship with your parents may be strained this year as you get excited to move out and begin a life of your own, but don’t forget that it was your parents that got you to where you are today. They’ve spent the last 18 years taking care of you, cheering you on and encouraging you to do your absolute best. Be grateful and remember to spend a little extra time with them whenever you can. A year from now, you’re no longer going to be able to run to them whenever you want to and you are going to find that you miss them more than you even anticipated.

4.) Spend as much time with your friends as you can.

A year from now, you’re not going to be able to hop over to their houses as easily; so, be careful not to take them for granted, be sure to let them know how grateful you are for them and plan a few extra adventures.

5.) Make sure you participate in a variety of activities.

This is really only for your own benefit. You may think you know what you want to major in, but even if you do, it’s good to expand your horizons and experience new things so that you don’t go into college with too narrow a perspective. You never know what you’ll find or what you’ll be surprised to find you have a passion for.

6.) If you can, take a few classes that aren’t your “regular” classes.

Don’t overwhelm yourself and ruin your senior year by taking a day packed full of AP or difficult classes. Take a good balance of classes that you enjoy and classes that will make you look good to a college. This will develop your senses of what you enjoy and what you don’t as well as help you to decide what you want to continue to study in college.

7.) Work on building good habits.

One of the most difficult aspects of college is that literally no one is around to remind you to maintain your good habits so, life will be easier and healthier for you if you’ve already firmly established healthy habits. Make sure you drink enough water, learn to regularly organize your time, exercise at least 5 days a week, etc. It’ll make avoiding that freshman 15 much easier.

8.) Start a stockpile for college supplies.

Decorating a dorm room can be expensive, especially if you do all of the shopping last second. Therefore, if you can, start a stockpile of dorm decor and necessities in your closet or the corner of your room. That way, when you find something ridiculously cute (and hopefully on-sale!) you can buy it and add it to the pile. Then, by the time you move into your dorm, you’ll be all set. No last second, expensive, stressful shopping.

9.) Get rid of anything you aren’t particularly attached to.

Dorms are small; there’s not room for a whole lot more besides a little decor and the necessities. If you aren’t particularly attached to something, or you haven’t used it in years, get rid of it. Toss it, recycle it, regift it, whatever! That way when you come home from college over breaks, you won’t have piles of unnecessary stuff in your room, you won’t have to worry about getting rid of it later and it’ll make moving into your first actual apartment far simpler!

10.) Work as much as you can.

Don’t destroy your senior year by working every moment away, but do work as much as you comfortably can. You’ll thank yourself when you have a little extra give in your budget your first year away at college. It’s easy to underestimate the “extra” costs of college, like wanting to eat and go out with friends… so you’ll be grateful when you aren’t completely broke not even halfway through your first semester.

11.) Don’t spend money recklessly.

It may feel like you have a lot of money now but you really don’t. You need to save that money for next year not only for student loans, but for gas and the occasional night out and books. (Books are expensive!)

12.) Don’t stress yourself about knowing exactly you want to be when “you grow up.”

Honestly the idea that you have to know exactly what you want to do for a career and what you want to major in before you’ve even graduated from high school is asinine. It is perfectly acceptable for you to enter college as an open major; in fact, most colleges encourage it because it means that you’re allowing yourself to “taste test” a variety of majors to ensure you find one you are truly passionate about.

13.) Tour as many colleges as you can, even if they’re virtual tours.

When you’ve found the right school, you’ll know. It’s this feeling you get in your gut. You can picture yourself living there, attending class there and loving life there. That’s why you should tour as many schools as possible, it’s the only way you’ll know if that’s where you see yourself thriving.

14.) Don’t choose a college based off of your friends or family or teachers or anyone else for that matter.

Just don’t do it. The only reason you should choose a school is for yourself. This is your life, your decision and your future career. Go where you are happy.

15.) Don’t rush your college decision.

Apply to a lot of places and wait to hear back from all of them; don’t panic, don’t rush it, don’t limit yourself to just one top choice. Breathe. You’ll likely know if it’s the right school for you or not based off of how you feel when you receive your acceptance.

16.) Don’t waste time trying to please everyone.

Put simply, you just won’t be able to do it and it’s a waste of time. After all, college changes things, especially relationships; and, you have less than a year left before those changes happen, so if you don’t see someone being in your life long term… don’t waste too much time or energy on them. Spend your time with those who really matter. Life is far too short to spend even an ounce of free time with someone who doesn’t value you or lift you up.

17.) Listen to those that care about you.

While you should not choose a college based off of anyone’s wants but your own, you should take the advice of those that care about you. A lot of times they have experience that can significantly help you better prepare for your college years and they only want what’s best for you.

18.) Don’t go searching for a relationship.

(Let me reiterate- don’t go “searching,” if one just happens to occur, that’s another situation.) It just isn’t a good idea because regardless of what stage of life you think you’re in right now, I can almost guarantee you’ll be in an entirely different one in less than 6 months. And it’ll be easier to submerge yourself into your new life at college, if you have fewer ties (that can ultimately be distractions) in your hometown.

19.) Don’t beat yourself up too hard about test scores.

In about 6 months from now, they’re not going to matter. Simple as that. Try your best and study hard but at the end of the day, breathe in and let it go.

20.) Take to heart the expression “If it’s not going to matter in 5 years, don’t spend more than 5 minutes crying over it.”

Most high school seniors underestimate exactly how little what happens in high school matters in college. I know that it can feel like the end of the world now, but it will not matter once you leave for college. You’ll look back at it and think “Oh yeah, that happened once. Huh.” You won’t feel the heartbreak anymore, that test score won’t matter and the loss of that state championship won’t either.

21.) Take chances.

If you see an opportunity, take it and run with it. You don’t want to regret not even taking a chance at it.

22.) Don’t be stupid.

Colleges are watching you, I guarantee it. Be careful what you do, don’t think that just because you’re “legal” nothing matters anymore. When colleges are looking at two identical applications and they can only accept one student, they’re going to dig deeper into how you treat your teachers, how you represent yourself in public and any complaints about you at your local PD.

23.) Remember that potential colleges are constantly watching your social media.

Always, always, always. (Even your “finsta”!) Just be careful, you are under scrutiny. Don’t post that drunk picture regardless of how cute or funny it is; don’t post that derogatory comment; don’t post something hateful about a fellow classmate; don’t join questionable facebook pages; etc.

24.) Apply for literally every scholarship possible.

If you don’t fill out the paperwork, you have zero chance at winning the scholarship! FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK, no matter how long it may take you. Be thorough, take your time and do your absolute best. You will either be incredibly thankful when your student debt is less than it could’ve been; or, really upset when you realize that maybe you could’ve won that scholarship. Remember- Al Capone was only finally arrested when he failed to fill out his tax forms.

25.) Trust that what’s meant to be, will be. And don’t forget to breathe.

You are going to be okay, things are going to work out exactly the way they are supposed to and you are going to go on to do amazing things, things that make you happy. As long as you are doing your absolute best with your schoolwork, applying for all the scholarships you possibly can and participating in a variety of extracurriculars and activities… you have literally done everything within your power to be desirable to colleges. Trust in yourself. Trust in all that you are and all that you offer to those institutions. You got this! Breathe in and out; and, remember, what’s meant to be will always find a way.