Senior year for many teens is the final stepping stone to finally getting out of the prison called high school. It's the magical year where you and your best friend pledge to stay best friends forever and you profess your love for your significant other; it's the start of your life and it seems like one huge musical number. But, I'm here to tell you the cold hard truth: senior year is like the gladiators, and you have just entered the dome.
Senior year is not where you can burst out into song and dance about how you're "all in this together" or about how the mediocre student becomes the genius of the school- it's about surviving. These simple eight steps will go a long way.
1. Preparedness creates readiness
I know you've always been taught that being prepared goes a long way, and it's true. I've found that if I have everything I need, it's less of a hassle. Anything from highlighters, notebooks, pens, binders, and maybe even a mini stapler.
Preparedness also includes being organized. If you keep your papers for certain classes in a certain folder, it helps a long distance. Post-it makes these little tabs that work excellently for marking different subjects. This is especially important if you have AP classes.
2. Apply, apply, apply! Because the worst they can say is deny, deny, deny
Along with senior year comes college. College is like the Michael Jackson of our lives up until this point. Everyone talks about college, knows about college, and prepares to get to the point of college. But, we often have the habit of sticking to one. What if you get denied?
To increase your chances of going to college, apply to as many as you can. I've applied to ten, and most were as soon as applications went online.
It's also helpful if you have an advisor through the application: your parents, a guidance counselor or a college coach if your school has one. It is to help better your college application so you can get in.
3. FAFSA If you want the cash-a
FASFA is a glorious glorious superhero for us upcoming college students. It's the Batman of college; rich and resourceful. FASFA is financial aid for college, and the faster you get it done, the faster colleges will respond.
You hear Senior's everywhere saying, " I'm not going to college because I can't afford it", well that's a bunch of bull because FASFA is here to save the day!
Your counselors should be able to help you with setting an account up. This year, FASFA started to be available on October 1st.
4. If it has a screen, it's not part of the dream (unless you want to have a career in technology...)
Seriously...You're there to learn, not to stare at a screen mindlessly for seven hours. You miss out on valuable learning time and socializing face to face. The only reason you should have your phone out is in emergencies or if you need it for a class. Side note: I bet that you wouldn't even noticed someone in a gorilla suit in the class.
Just, put the phone away and you'll get better grades, I promise.
5. Fool around, you're six feet underground (your grades...I mean)
Seniors always get a bad case of senioritis at least halfway through the year. Most don't care because they've put in the work the other years so they don't see the point in putting the effort in their final year. One question: don't you have to pass to graduate?
So, wouldn't it be better to actually do your work, get the grades, and earn your ticket out of that prison? Your choice.
6. DON'T stop in the name of love if you want to rise above
I mean college as in "rise above," of course. I'm not saying you can't be in love and in a relationship, I'm just saying that it shouldn't mingle with your school life. It adds a ton of extra drama that you don't need in your already stressful life. Plus, you can't be like Betty and Jughead and live happily ever after from the beginning.
So, if you want to survive your senior year, don't let your relationship dictate how it goes.
7. True friends thrive and will help you survive
Best friends are a part if life; you tell them all your secrets and you share several inside jokes. Years worth of laughter, smiles, and late nights phone calls are spent with your best friend. But, with senior year approaching, you have to decide who is a real friend and will be there when you need it.
I'm not talking about the six-year-old you with a macaroni necklace and pinky promise to be BFF's. I'm talking about the friend who is always there and never stabs you in the back.
Senior year is stressful enough, so why add on to it with slippery snakes as friends?
8. If you give up, you're out of luck
The image says it all, most places today (and colleges) don't accept people who haven't completed ALL four years of high school. So, don't be like Castiel and quit. Thrive and do your best to succeed.
Alright, now that you have taken these eight steps to survive, you can FINALLY break out into song and dance. Just don't make three movies and songs that nobody can get out of their head once they start singing it, and you should be good.
