Dear rising senior,

Congratulations! You are officially a senior in high school! You’re at the top of the totem pole, leaders of the school and the ones that freshmen look up to. Being a senior really is a big deal. There are a lot of perks: senior skip days, college acceptances and second semester (aka when oversleeping turns into not showing up until after noon if you even show up at all). There are also a lot of bittersweet moments: the last football game, last school dance, the thought of actually taking on the real world – you know, all the things that make you cry a little. So seniors, here are my five tips to having the best senior year possible.

1. Pay attention.

Yes, I know. You’ve been listening for 12 years now, and you’re ready to just chill out and get on with your life, but there are a lot of important events during senior year, such as college visits, cap and gown orders, sending your transcript and tons of other things. Don’t miss the senior meetings that your administrators set up because most of the time (key word: most) they are talking about essential information. Talk to your guidance counselors, keep them updated and make sure you aren’t missing anything because when graduation comes, it will be too late.

2. Go all out.

You might be saying, “School spirit is lame,” but is it really? Or is that just something you’ve been told? Because I can honestly say that the football games where I was painted in our school colors while wearing feather boas and beads were a lot more fun than the ones that I didn’t participate in. And for the love of God, participate in homecoming week activities. I got to wear a onesie not once, but twice during that week, and it was one of the most comfortable weeks of the year. Take advantage of the themes they give you. It was so fun to be surrounded by a bunch of my friends who looked just as ridiculous as I did.

3. Do not slack off first semester.

Once you finish all your college applications, it becomes insanely easy to slack off in school. Don’t. First semester can be the deciding factor in whether or not you will be attending your dream university. It is very possible to get deferred from one of the schools you applied to, and in that case, the weight falls very heavy on your first semester grades. So if you want to get into your dream school, you have to keep working hard for it.

4. Make memories.

Go to the football games; go to your last homecoming and your last prom; go to the events that your school puts on because that is the last time you will have the chance to. Go out to dinner with your friends, go on dates, spend time with your family, love on your pet and make the most out of this time! Once the acceptances start rolling in, time will start flying by.

5. Have fun!

Senior year is exciting, scary, fun and stressful all at the same time, but the most important advice I can give is to have fun with it. Take advantage of all the opportunities you are given and make the most out of the time you have because very soon, your whole life is going to change. The school system you’ve been in since you were 6 years old – a system you know very well – will be flipped and turned upside down when college comes. Soon you won’t be walking downstairs to the kitchen to eat breakfast with your family, you’ll be walking into a dining hall. You won’t be hopping in the car and driving 10 minutes to your best friend’s house when they need you because you may only see your best friend on breaks. Your whole routine is about to change, so enjoy what is normal for now because soon, there will be a new normal.

Study hard, get your applications done, have fun with your friends and enjoy senior year. College is such an amazing next chapter, but don’t forget to put a great ending on your high school story.