1. Take Pictures
The best way to capture the memories of senior year is by taking pictures! I also recommend taking little videos on your phone; after I graduated, I made a long video of all the small clips I took during the school year. A picture says 1,000 words, and videos preserve all the precious moments forever. I also highly recommend getting professional photos taken senior year. Luckily you and I both know the oh-so-talented Wendy Childress! She is an incredible photographer, a wonderful mother, and a beautiful soul.
2. Stay Organized
Staying organized allows you to be in charge of your senior year. Senioritis is real...very real. I suggest getting a planner and writing all your responsibilities in it; that way you will never miss a beat or double-book yourself. Also, having a planner allows you to manage your time wisely when it comes to adding social time into your schedule; I like being able to have a tangible outlook of how busy my week is so that I can allot quality time with my friends on a day that I’m not stressed about a school deadline.
3. Make new friends
Do you know all your classmates’ names? What about their hobbies? Maybe that person that you pass by in the halls on your way to 2nd period is interested in the same things you are!
4. Scholarships!
Who doesn’t love free money? Especially as you’re reaching the end of free education, scholarships are a great way to earn money for college just by showcasing yourself! A helpful tip for making the scholarship application process quicker and easier is to keep an ongoing list of all your awards, extracurricular activities, and community service participation --since most scholarships require you to list these things anyways. That way you don’t forget to include one of your awesome features in the application!
5. Participate in the classroom
Did I mention that this is the last year of free education? Take advantage of it! There is so much knowledge to be explored! My senior year I made the effort to be physically and mentally present during my classes and it has made all the difference in my learning experience!
6. Visit colleges
When it comes to choosing which colleges to apply to, I highly suggest taking a tour of the campus first. Make a whole day out of it! My mom and I visited UCSD, UCI, Pepperdine, and UCLA in one day! When I stepped foot onto UCLA’s campus, there was this unexplainable feeling: I belonged there. I could see myself walking to class, eating in the dining halls, getting involved in school activities.
7. Appreciate your teachers
I believe educators are the most important and the most underappreciated influencers in society. Your teachers have spent years gaining expertise to share with you. They wake up every day wanting to make a difference in your life. We all see what teachers have to go through sometimes, don’t let your senior year go by without letting your teachers know that their impact is appreciated!
8. Use your resources
My school’s Career Center was my favorite resource during senior year! Whether it was providing scholarship opportunities, hosting presentation-visits from university representatives, or even being a place to use a printer, the Career Center has been a lifesaver for many seniors --myself included.
9. Take care of yourself!
Staying healthy senior year is so important; we all know it’s never a good time to be sick. Sleeping well is so important. I know it can be hard to get enough sleep during the week when school, homework, and extracurriculars become overwhelming, but if it means saving the binge-watching until the weekend to go to sleep before midnight, your immune system will thank you.
10. Make it count!
You only have one senior year of high school! Enjoy it! You’ll be turning your tassel to the left before you know it. Hope you have an amazing senior year!
::Thoughtfully written by AJ Maloney
AJ was a Class of 2017 WCPSenior Model and is an accomplished young women. She will attending UCLA in the fall.
