When I was a senior in high school, I was so excited to graduate that a lot of my time was spent wishing away my last year of school. What I realize now, as a freshman in college, is that I should have spent more time enjoying those few remaining moments. Don't get me wrong, college is ten thousand times better than high school, but your senior year is a time that you won't ever get back, so make sure you enjoy it while it's here.
Tip #1
Put time and work into school. It's the last year and it might seem like you don't really need to do anything anymore, but colleges will still look at the grades you receive during your senior year.
Tip #2
Go to every sports game! You won't be able to see your friends play after this year, so go to all of their games and cheer them on while you still can.
Tip #3
Don't get too caught up in what people think of you. After you graduate, you won't talk to most of your class ever again, so their opinions of you really don't matter as much as it might seem like they do now.
Tip #4
Spend as much time as you can with your best friends. Soon you won't be able to see them every day and life will be so much different without them constantly around. Go on road trips, movies, concerts; make as many memories with them as you can.
Tip #5
Put all of your effort into everything you do. This is your last year, so this is the year people will remember you for. You're leaving your mark. Make sure it's something you'd want to be remembered for.
Tip #6
Make the most out of your classes. Sure, they might be boring, but when you get to college, you'll be getting the amount of work that you currently get in one year in four months. Enjoy that while you can.
Tip #7
Start saving some money for when you're at school. Books are expensive. Besides having to pay for books, it's always nice to have some money in your bank account for going out or whatever else you might want to splurge on.
Tip #8
Enjoy the security of being in high school and knowing everybody and being able to come home every night. It's a safe place. When you first get to college, you won't know anyone, you won't know where anything is, and you don't get to come home at night. After the first couple weeks you'll get the hang of it, but there's something about high school that just feels like a security blanket; in a few months you'll have to let it go.
Tip #9
Enjoy your mom's cooking. You might not realize how good it is now, but trust me, you will. Eat as much of it as you can while you're still home. Dining hall food does not compare to home-cooked meals.
Tip #10
Don't try to rush through your last year. I know how exciting it is to be almost finished with this chapter of your life and you're ready to move on to the next one, but this is the last year of high school you're going to get, so enjoy the little things while you can.
