Dear incoming high school seniors,
It's finally here: senior year. The year you have been dreaming about since your first day of kindergarten. Even when you started high school, this year seemed like it would never come. It's finally here and I promise you that you will blink and it will be over before you know it.
As someone who is going into their second year of college, I feel like I can give you some wisdom about senior year. I didn't believe the people who graduated before me when they said that senior year goes by in the blink of an eye, but trust me it really does. It can be an amazing year, but you have to go into it with a positive mindset.
Be involved.
Trust me, you want to be involved in various activities in high school. Not only does it look great on your resume for college, but that's where you will create genuine friendships and grow to love service. Create a legacy for the classes under you to make sure that your school is forever a great environment.
Do what is best for you.
There are a lot of pressures senior year to make the right decision for your future. You need to remember that you have to do what is best for you. Don't make decisions based on what other people want. It's your life and your future. This is a time for you to learn and grow by making "adult" decisions about your future.
Don't check out.
I know from experience how easy it is to check out senior year. You are accepted to college and you feel like there is no point to high school anymore. You still have to finish high school and graduate, so stay focused. Once you check out it's hard to gain your focus again.
Let your mom fuss over you.
Senior year is extremely hard for parents. You are going to be your mom's baby forever. Try to be respectful of her feelings because it's not easy to see your baby grow up and leave home. I promise it won't hurt you to let your mom take millions (and I mean millions) of pictures of every single moment of your senior year. Also (pre warning), be prepared for daily tears from your mom.
Spend time with your family and friends.
It is so important to spend time with your friends and family, especially if you are going away for college. I promise you that you will miss them more than you think you will. Keep the people who are important to you close and create lasting memories together while you still can.
Live in the moment.
It is so easy to purely think about graduation and then going off to college during senior year. Yes, it is important to look forward and set goals, but it is also important to live in the moment and enjoy what is going on in the present. Senior year will be over before you know it, so enjoy it while you still can.
Sincerely,
A College Sophomore
