Hey, class of 2018! Pinch yourselves - yes, you really are graduating in nine short months. I know it seems unbelievable, and you can't believe how fast the past 17 years have flown. At the same time though, senior year seems to stretch on forever! As a college freshman, though, I can promise you that this year will be over so, so fast. Live and love as fully as you can, and don't forget to do these eight things.

1. Avoid senioritis as much as possible.

Once you get your first acceptance letter, academics seem to start mattering a whole lot less. But you really don’t want to jeopardize that acceptance or potential scholarship by letting your GPA drop, so keep working hard. It’s gotten you this far! You don’t want to be a week before graduation and be terrified that your final exam chemistry grade will put your scholarship at risk – it’s not fun. I speak from experience.

2. Know your limits.

Learn to prioritize what really matters to you. Senior year will give you more freedom than you’ve ever had, but also more responsibilities than you’ve ever had. You will utterly burn yourself out saying “yes” to everything. Also, college will throw ten times more opportunities at you than high school ever will, and you need to have a strong “no” muscle ready to handle this.

3. Be a mentor and a friend to underclassmen.

Let’s get past this “senior dominance” mentality that so many of us have, and do something productive instead. If you’re part of any club, team, or organization with mixed grades, you probably have some kind of opportunity to mentor younger students. This opportunity was absolutely my favorite part of senior year, so don’t miss out on it! It’s time to challenge the “freshmen, get the balls!” stereotype, and instead to remember that being a younger kid in a new environment is a terrifying thing. Hint : THIS WILL BE YOU NEXT YEAR.

4. Find a mentor for yourself as well.

We all need help. Let’s be honest – nothing about senior year is easy, except for maybe that one blow-off class. When you’re facing a year that’s probably more stress-filled than any other year you’ve experienced, and you’re anticipating moving out in just a few months, you will easily get overwhelmed. I cannot stress the value of reaching out to people who are on the other side of highschool and college. These people can speak truth and wisdom over you because they have been there. I was nervous to reach out and find these mentors, but when I did, I discovered that they were all more than happy to help me. Now, I can’t imagine walking through life without their love and wisdom.

5. Do something uncomfortable.

In college, you are going to be uncomfortable A LOT. Senior year is a great time to try something new, even on small scales. Go volunteer at an animal shelter, library, or just any place you wouldn’t normally picture yourself. Start a blog. Get a part-time job and start saving for that college tuition bill! Instead of always sticking with your friend group, meet someone new. Find out what interests them and try it out! This is what college is really all about, and it will be much easier to adapt if you get yourself used to it now.

6. Go on a roadtrip with your best friends.

This is a bit of a wildcard, but one of the best things I did during my senior year was take a weekend to take a roadtrip with three of my dearest friends. It doesn’t take a lot to make incredible memories that you’ll treasure forever. Break out your favorite Spotify playlists and you’ll be set. Oh – and take a TON of pictures.

7. Do all the "high school things".

Oh, I know how it is. You’re SO over it. You’re over the cafeteria lunch, homecoming “asks”, football games, pep rallies, plays, and student council meetings. Go to them anyway. At least one more time. The thing is, they may seem old now, but one day you won’t be able to get them back. Don’t throw away senior year because you feel like you’ve outgrown it all. You haven’t. Go to your pep rally and show the freshmen what school spirit looks like.

8. Say "thank you" - a lot.

We spend a whole lot of time trash talking our high schools. We don’t like the rules. We’re sick of dress code. We complain about the way our teachers grade homework. We don’t like not being able to take our iced caramel macchiato with double whip into our AP chemistry class. Here's the deal, you guys: it's time to get the ever-livin', ever-lovin' heck over ourselves. I know not everything about school is appealing, but it is way past time that we started appreciating our education and the people who provide it to us. So many of our teachers and school faculty are overworked and underpaid, but still show up every day (even earlier than we do) because they believe in US. Take a second out of your year, and stop for a second. Say thank you. Be humble, because those men and women played a huge role in that acceptance letter you just got.

Senior year is terrifying, but also probably the most fun year of high school for a lot of people. Live and love it. Class of 2018, you got this.