I’ve graduated high school, shed many tears at graduation, and am now a Freshman at Syracuse University.

After this stepping stone, here are few realizations I made throughout my Senior year in high school. From countless sleepless nights of studying to screaming at graduation with my classmates who I may or may not ever see again, these tips will guide you through senior year to make sure you won’t miss anything at all.

1. Spend as much time with your friends as possible. Have sleepovers!

Spending time with friends is so important, but you won’t fully appreciate the time you spent with them until you step foot on your college campus. The time I’ve spent with friends has been priceless. From late night golfing to fireworks on the beach to lengthy nonsense conversations, I cherish all of these high school memories and miss them an awful lot. Appreciate your friends and the little time you have in high school with them. It goes by fast!

2. Push yourself academically, study hard, and make grades your number one priority.

The most important part of senior year is being mindful of your grades. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve preached to my friends how much their good grades would help them later in life, and how I was completely right when it came down to the college application process. After finishing a semester of college my senior year of high school, I cannot thank myself enough for taking the opportunity to maximize my schedule that year. Yes, there were tears (maybe multiple), but it was oh so worth it!

3. Spend time with your pets, you’re going to miss them.

I may or may not have already FaceTime’d my cats multiple times since I’ve moved into college. You’ll probably do the same. I can’t explain the immense amount of help my cats were to my studies senior year of high school, with their loud and obnoxious purrs and sympathetic company.

They have been with me through injuries, lost-friendships, gained friendships, coursework struggles, daily stresses, and breakups (where they probably thought I was utterly pathetic for going through so many tissues), but besides the point—they’ve always been there. Give them treats, have a Netflix date with them, cuddle up next to them with a book. Also, maybe take your cats on walks as well. I did buy my cats a cat-leash, which they love, but I guess you don’t have to do that.

4. It’s never too early to start touring colleges.

YAY! College tours! I’m not sure if you’ve already started the college touring process, but if not, go for it! With the chance you may be an underclassman in high school reading this article, you should too know that it’s never too early to start the search. I began scoping out colleges in seventh grade, when I took a bus to Boston to visit my cousin at Northeastern University for a few days. The experience implemented lots of excitement for college.

Walk around college campuses and get the feel for what the environment is like. It’ll definitely give you some inspiration and determination to work for your future—as that’s definitely what it did for me. For seniors, it is not too late. Most of my college tours were in August of my senior year, but I definitely continued touring other colleges for months after that.

5. Reconnect with old friends and maybe you’ll stay in touch after college.

I was sitting in my car after I had just completed my long-awaited art presentation, and one of my elementary school friends ran up to my window, opened the door, and embarked on a conversation that I’ll always remember.

Soon enough, we were both laughing loudly and reconnecting on our past lives as elementary students, reflecting on the times we’ve had together. After this, she became one of my best friends senior year. Listen when people tell you to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and venture out your senior year. That amount of courage could turn into a life-changing friendship that you’ll always have, just like my scenario.

6. Attend every school event. Spirit week, project graduation, prom, and your senior trip will be your most memorable days.

I went all out for prom. With hours of outfit preparation and planning, my prom date and I killed it. All of these moments are parts of high school you’ll miss if you don’t attend. These silly little events organized by the school will later be of much importance to you, and I truly mean that. Take these opportunities and run with them. Make the most of your time in high school, especially with these events, because in the end you’ll miss them a lot. Trust me.

7. Start the college application process as early as you can.

I was very good at the college touring process, as I started at a young age and had a general feeling for the types of aspects I wanted in a school (which will change, by the way.) What I hadn’t thought about as much was the application process.

I started this process in around October, and November to December is when the college essays came into full swing. I applied to an immense amount of schools, so the amount of supplementary essays I had to type left me extremely fatigued by the second month of it. I was very proactive with this process, but I do wish I started the college essays sooner, as my perfectionist-self spent weeks upon weeks typing these essays, with little-to-no sleep.

Needless to say, I looked like a train-wreck. Long story short, you don’t have to do the same, so start them a little sooner just incase!

8. Take as many selfies and pictures as you can. You’ll look back on them.

I’m not one to speak, being a photo-fanatic with a camera roll filled with over 18,000 photos, but I’m sure others can relate to the fact that photos are important. They capture memories that you’ll always be able to look back on! Make sure throughout senior year you capture moments that could deem special to you in the future. I have all of my beach days, movie nights, shopping sprees, sleepovers, and special events kept in my camera roll, and I look back on them all the time.

9. Go on dates!

GO ON DATES! Yes, studies are very important. Yes, building a social life with friends is also important. But dating is something that will both boost your confidence level, and teach you multiple life skills, along with social skills and proper etiquette. Along with these factors, dating is fun! It can be nice to end a busy week with a date at the beach while building a connection with someone new, who could potentially be in your life for awhile. High school sweethearts are a thing, so why not test it out?

10. Find yourself.

The most important of one of all. During this year, throughout all the ups and the downs, make sure to implement time for yourself. I’m a firm believer in “me-time”, as I understand how much I work and how beneficial rewarding yourself can be.

Whether it’s buying yourself a morning coffee, going to the spa, getting a spray tan, buying a new pair of shoes, or even taking a few hours to let yourself do whatever you love most, take that time for yourself.

Along with this self-care, which will help you relax and feel comfortable, also try to make time to develop your strengths and discover the things that make you happy. Throughout senior year, I learned my “happy place” was the coffee shop, where I could unwind, reflect, and think up new ideas.

This is where I first researched the college I now attend, completed some of my best writing pieces, and also learned more about myself due to the time I gave myself there to just reflect. I always try to make time to reflect, and you should too.

Make this your year, and next year will thank you.