How to make the most of your senior year- 10 tips to have an epic last year!

This is a year you have worked 12 years for… somewhere in middle school you probably started thinking about your senior year.. and let’s be honest, that seemed like it was SO FAR AWAY. And yet, here you are. This year is a fun, and fast, and a celebration of your high school journey. But, it’s also a big growth year. I swear, you start the year and feel lost… what will you do next? how will you survive at a college, or working? and how will you even get there. And, you blink, and its all over, and you are saying good bye to your high school days. You will change so much over the next year. If someone where to ask me where in my life I would go back to, hands down, it’s my second semester senior year. I knew where I was going to college, my classes were about done… and other than AP exams, I didn’t have to study much. I was just tasting FREEDOM! It was Bliss! But, I won’t lie, there are a lot of changes that take place too. So, I compiled a list of the things I think that make your senior year EPIC… making the most of your senior year is worth it, because I promise you will never have another year like it!

#1 Do ALL the things…

This year is ONCE IN A LIFETIME… did you get that? I will repeat it for those of you in the back! ONCE. IN. A. LIFETIME.

I can’t stress this enough, you will always look back on this year. Don’t waste a minute. Go to the football games, go to Prom, do the senior breakfast, hit senior sunrise. While not every event will be perfect {what ever is}… its your LAST time to do these things. Senior year is about living in the moment. Enjoying your lasts, and savoring it all!

#2 Write those essays early…

Yep, I said it! Applying to college is time consuming….and its not easy. Start on the toughest part first. that way, as soon as applications open, you can get it done! Don’t procrastinate {and trust me, I know how mush easier that feels}… you will thank me in November. 

#3 Spend time with the people who mean the most…

Did I mention this is the year of LASTS? I know, in some ways, the thought of leaving high school feels like it will be a breath of fresh air… a new start… and it will be! But, you will miss your friends, your favorite teachers… and most of all, your parental. I promise. Spending time with friends is easy, but I promise those first few weeks {months} at college will show you how much your parents, and parental figures meant to you. Spend some time with them now! Dinner with your mom and dad, YES! Shopping time with your little sister, just do it! Playing at the beach with your little brother, a no brainer! These people are preparing for a life without you there every day. Even if you stay in town, it all CHANGES! Spend this time with them now, you won’t get it back. 

#4 Don’t over-schedule yourself… or under schedule…

Chill out, but don’t check out completely. I’ve seen it all. There are the students who take so much on their plate their last year they don’t have time to breathe. Then there are the ones who end up using their incomplete homework as a paperweight or fire starter. Find that balance in between the two. Give yourself time for rest and relaxation. You’ll find yourself putting in better quality work (and being a much more pleasant human) than functioning on three hours of sleep and eight shots of espresso. And if you’re on the flip side, I get it. Senioritis is a real thing, but so is the real world and you’re going to need to be prepared to enter it. Give yourself a checklist of the things that need to get done and highlight your top three as the ones that are non-negotiable. Baby steps, people.

#5 They are all brick buildings…

Oh, college applications again. I get it, this feels SO HEAVY. You have worked the last 12 years for this, applying to college. So, now your done and your waiting, and the waiting can feel like the WORST part! And, honestly, it really does stink. But, and I can’t say this enough, your college acceptances do NOT define you or the rest of your life. Don’t put that much pressure on this one thing, or this one moment. If you don’t get into the one you want, it’s okay to be upset, but don’t let it make you bitter and stop you from pursuing your dreams. Instead, make a game plan of what your Plan B is and work towards that. I’m willing to bet good money that option will end up being better than how you thought your Plan A would be.They are all brick buildings, and they all give you a degree, and I PROMISE, as long as you go in with a great attitude, you will have an amazing 4 {or even 5} years. 

#6 Create a senior bucket list…

This sort of plays of #1, but make a list. All the things you want to do, write them down. All the things you wish you had done the last 18 years, and haven’t, now is your chance, because once you graduate, you can never go back! Get specific, and plan it out… and don’t save it all for the last quarter, because trust me when I say you will be BUSY!

#7 Take a day trip with your friends

Since you’re a senior now, I assume you are old enough to take a weekend or day trip with your friends. And spending the whole day making awesome memories is priceless!

Whether that’s a road trip or a train ride, you can spend the day, or weekend, in the next city, state, or beach. Doesn’t that sound like a fantastic time? Drive over to Itechetucknee, head to Disney World for the day.

#8 Meet a new person every day

Once you leave the safety net of high school you will constantly be meeting new people, especially in college. Now is the time to get comfortable with that. Know everyone in your senior class? Then talk to a sophomore or freshman- you will make their day! Getting out of the comfort zone of talking about new topics, finding common ground, and taking a risk are such great ways to grow as a human and prepare you for the next stage of your life. 

#9 Take senior photos…

And I don’t just mean the yearbook photos. Senior year is unlike any other time you will ever have again. Bordering between the last years of your teens, and the brink of being an adult, what more of a reason to celebrate who you are, and what you have accomplished. And while you’re here, peak around to see how KHP does senior photos, it’s kind of our Specialty 🙂

#10 Develop some better study habits…

When you think about it, high school is like practice and college is the big game. Take serious advantage of this “practice time” while you can. What are Cornell Notes again? Oh, and planners, uh you write in those, right?

Senioritis is real, trust me… but taking some time to create some better habits, and finding you own way of doing things could be just the push you need the following year! Mastering organization will help so much as you head into college, and the work world!

and the BONUS… Live without regrets…

Seems kind of silly, right? but, trust me, you will get caught up in all the things of senior year, and you will blink and it will be done. And college will feel the same way, I promise! So, take this advice, and carry it with you… Life is full of ups and downs, just like your senior year will be. Take it all in, do the things, make memories…

In fifty years, it’s more likely that you’ll regret NOT doing something then you will regret doing something foolish or crazy. That being said, don’t go out partying and drinking, or putting yourself in undesirable situations. Use good judgement, but try to live without regrets and keep moving forward, having the time of your life! And work on getting out of the digital world, and into the real world. 

Senior year should be an exciting time for everyone, and you should be proud of yourself for making it through high school! Now that the end is almost here, what are you looking forward to most about senior year? How do you plan on making it the best year yet?

Don’t blink or you will miss it!