Tips for your senior year in High School
So, I don't have any followers, but really wanted to make this post anyways (maybe someone who needs it will see it in the tags idk), but I remember really wanting to prepare for my senior year in high school and there are some things I wish I knew then that I now realize afterwards. So, here's a list of things that may help you with your senior year in high school in no particular order!
1. If you've only been actively participating in like two clubs since freshman year that is OKAY! Don't bend over backwards to join clubs to get them down on your college application, here it's quality over quantity. If you've been really active and manage to get a leadership position try to put your focus into that, not only will it give you some really valuable life lessons, but you can put the skills you get from leading a club to task. If you're an athlete, same thing, participating in sports takes a lot of time and energy, do what you can at your best and I promise you will exceed. Likewise, if you have a job those are time consuming, if you have to drop a club to work, it's fine. If you have a sick family member and you have to take care of them, or younger siblings, or anyone, those are responsibilities that you should most certainly include in your application. This one is really long but I think it's so important to keep in mind, do what you enjoy and have a responsibility to do, don't suddenly join the 'we love calculus club' if you hate math, stick to what you habe enjoyed or feel is more important.
2. Don't cut your ties. A lot of people see senior year as a time to be rid of everything relating to high school, don't cut your ties in October then look shook when the May final is a group project and you now need to work with people you thought you were done with. If a person is toxic, of course feel free to cut away and burn the ties, but don't cut them for the sake of cutting them. Sometimes friendships are made and broken at the most unexpected of times, you never know when you'll need someone.
3. Save what money you can because senior year can get pricey! Or at my school it did. Class rings aren't necessary, but if you really, really want one, try to save over the summer to get one. This part of the tip might work better for juniors since that's when I had to begin paying for my class ring, I don't know how that works at other schools though. Other things to save for are end of the year trips, graduation fees, and going out with your friends. If you're more of a solo kind of person, treat yourself! If you're going away to college it may be your last few times going to cafe downtown you like, or the shelter you volunteer at, try to do things for you! Either way: save, save, what you can and don't feel bad if you put saving money for college textbooks over a class ring. I love mine, but many in my class felt they were simply unnecessary purchases. Do what's good for you.
4. Group plans don't always work out and that's okay. My school didn't do an end of the year trip and my uncle wasn't letting me go to a house party hosted by some people at my school. I kept to a pretty small group of friends, which got slightly bigger through the years. Originally, 12 of us were supposed to be going to Skyzone and the weekend before graduation. In the end 4 of us went to a mall then Dave & Busters and had a kicka** time. Out of the three people that went (I'm the 4th so not counting me lol) I had only talked to one of them since Sophomore year and the other two I had only begun to get to know in my senior year. I had so much fun with them and tbh it's a day I'll remember as a highlight from senior year.
5. Do not give up on academics. Congratulations, it's January and you got into your dream college, that's great. Time to shove my textbooks into a sewer, right? Wrong! Colleges can and will take back their acceptances, so try not to go lax just because you got into college. Senioritis is real, but finish strong, I believe in you even if I don't know you!
6. It is never to late to fix a grade. I had a friend who had a 0 in a class after not submitting so many assignments, he apologized to the teacher by email and in person and asked what he could do. She gave him the missing assignments and a time frame of completion, he did them and ended up with a 78. It wasn't pretty or fun, but he managed and so can you. See tip 5 though and try your best not to get into this position. It'll just stress you out in the long run and stress isn't good for you.
7. Go to prom- or don't. You have to do what makes you feel comfortable. If you feel like prom is just one bigger cluster of bad for you, then don't go. You could still go out to a diner with friends after if you want or just hang out some other time. When people would ask me if I thought they should go to prom, I'd ask if them if when they were in their 40's would they think they'd regret it, and some said maybe, other said no. Truth be told, we can't know the real answer until they're in their 40's looking back on it. If you feel comfortable, even if you don't necessarily like the idea of getting all dressed up, I'd say to go for the experience. If the very thought of prom makes you gag and sick to your stomach with anxiety, then make the call yourself and decide if you wanna give it a go or sit this one out.
8. College isn't the only option unless what you want to do in life requires a degree. Trade school is a great thing to look into. Don't be afraid to look into other options or take that break year if you have to.
9. It's alright not to know what you want to do. I know it doesn't feel right. Your friend Jenny wants to be a veterinarian with a focus on reptiles in a specific region of the world, Rick wants to be an account and one day own his own bank, and James is going to cosmetology school to become a tattoo artist. You, think you might kinda know what you wanna do, but in actuality you're not 100% sure. It's okay. A good thing to do if you're against going into college undecided (which there's nothing wrong with) is to field your interests. Go through majors and decide if you think you could do any of those. If the answer is no, cross it off, if it's yes, check it. Compile a list of your yes's and see if any of them to together, or one makes you a lot happier than the other. Side note, people will tell you it isn't the degree that matters but what you do with it and this is true... to an extent. If you major in medieval studies or classical literature, your probably shouldn't expect to be the head scientist at NASA.
10. The cliche have fun. Enjoy your senior year. I hated high school after junior year but have moments and classes that I enjoyed. Try to find that at your school. If your school is all around crap for you, try me time memories. Ex. Write the first chapter of a book, hang out with friends, go to a party if that's your scene, enjoy fall activities, go ice skating, attend a film festival, pick up a new hobby, just try to do something worth remembering. Remember those memories are yours to keep and hold on to, make them worth their space in that beautiful, perfect mind of yours.
**Bonus Tip** (should be tip 11 but I refuse to end anything on an odd number, don't @ me lol) Some of the jobs we will have have not been created yet. Imagine that! You may have a job that has yet to have been created. Society is developing and moving so fast and we as a an entire human culture have to cope with that. Maybe your job will be teaching a sign language to an AI. Or maybe you'll be part of the first beauty company to make miniature drones that apply on point never crooked eyeliner. You never know what the future will hold, so try to enjoy senior year and remember good vibes, don't stress too much, and go have fun!
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