Dear Rising Seniors,
It’s exciting, isn’t it? Knowing that in nearly a year you’ll be throwing your cap up in the air (or if that’s too risky for you...maybe just a light toss), addressing graduation announcements in the hopes that you’ll obtain enough money to afford a decent hotel room for senior week, and commencing a new chapter in your life.
Merely knowing that you’re only 180 more school days away from escaping hallways that reek of a weird combination of Axe and B.O. should be enough to want to make you dramatically burst out in the lyrics of “I Will Survive.”
It doesn’t seem like too long ago that I was in that place: overcome with more excitement than anxiety and daily looking for colleges that were far, far away from home. However, I’ve learned a few things that I really wish someone would have sat me down during my senior year to tell me:
1. Spend more time with your family.
This is said so often but considering Netflix and Instagram are our top hobbies as teens, I think it still deems acknowledgement. Believe me, watching Dwight Schrute hold up a bobblehead of himself is probably far more entertaining than making dinner with your mom, but you’ll regret it in a year. You’ll still have your laptop/tv in your college dorm, but you’re not going to have those Monday afternoons where you teach your grandmother how to change her Facebook profile picture. Appreciate the ordinary moments because during that college homesickness, they’ll be extraordinary memories to you.
2. Step out of your comfort zone.
Don't choose a school that is going to make you feel like you're a rising 13th grader. You're going to be transitioning into an independent adult in the next few years; choosing a school that tempts you to drive home every weekend and eat lunch with your high school pals isn't going to help any. Be in a place that forces you to make new friends and rely on yourself more than your parents to do your laundry. You'll thank yourself later.
3. Don’t load your senior year with classes.
I took five classes the spring semester of my senior year, and it was the worst decision I have ever made. While everyone else was screaming their lungs out at basketball games, I was cooped up trying to meet the midnight deadline for three online classes. I promise, you’ll be okay if you don’t take that additional AP class. Enjoy your last year of childhood instead of cramming in too many academics.
4. Have an open mind regarding your future.
If you didn't get into your dream college, it isn't the end of the world! Sometimes, the plans we made for our lives in kindergarten aren't the ones we end up following through with, and that's okay! Explore more college options, apply for more schools than one, and keep your mind open. Who knows...you could end up at a school you'd never even heard of. (That's what happened to me. Best. Decision. Ever.)
5. Live in the present.
I kinda hit on this in #1, but in today’s society, we scroll through Twitter looking for relatable posts more than we try to relate to the people around us. Take a minute and look up from your phone to interact with the things/people you’ve probably ignored the past three years: that one old lady at church that always inquires after your nonexistent dating life or the friendless girl at your lunch table that just wants to fit in.
It's true; it really is almost over and in the blink of an eye, you'll be taking mirror selfies in your cap and gown and wondering how four years flew by so quickly.
And while you are preparing for a far greater chapter of your life, don't forget to end this part of your story with memories that'll last a lifetime. After all, it'll be the hardest chapter to turn the page on.
Sincerely,
A person who was in your place not too long ago