Wow, you’re a senior! Finally, right? Although it may feel like you’re absolutely ready to be done with high school, here are five tips on how you can live out your last year in high school like no other and make the most of it.

1. First of all, these might not be the best days of your life. And that’s okay! Don’t take this the wrong way – you’re probably going to have a fantastic year! And you deserve it! But you don’t need to put all the pressure and hype on it. Do you want to spend the rest of your life wishing you could go back to high school? I had a great high school experience but no part of me wants to go back. Live each day present and in the moment. Don’t freak out about your future or dwell on your past. Make the most of each day.
2. Chill out, but don’t check out completely. I’ve seen it all. There are the students who take so much on their plate their last year they don’t have time to breathe. Then there are the ones who end up using their incomplete homework as a paperweight or fire starter. Find that balance in between the two. Give yourself time for rest and relaxation. You’ll find yourself putting in better quality work (and being a much more pleasant human) than functioning on three hours of sleep and eight shots of espresso. And if you’re on the flip side, I get it. Senioritis is a real thing, but so is the real world and you’re going to need to be prepared to enter it. Give yourself a checklist of the things that need to get done and highlight your top three as the ones that are non-negotiable. Baby steps, people.
3. Your worth is not based on the colleges you get accepted to. Maybe you just started your senior year, but college applications are a very real thing in your near future, my friend. And you might not get into the one you want! It’s okay to be upset, but don’t let it make you bitter and stop you from pursuing your dreams. Instead, make a game plan of what your Plan B is and work towards that. I’m willing to bet good money that option will end up being better than how you thought your Plan A would be.
4. Start looking for that summer job now. A lot of seniors want to make some cash during the three months between graduation and college. So you might think to look for a job after graduation. Yeah… don’t do that. From an employer’s perspective, it doesn’t make sense for them to hire you just to have you leave by the time you’re getting the hang of the job. The sooner you apply, the more likely you are to get it. Start small and offer them a couple hours week with the promise of working more hours come summer. Plus, having extra spending money that first year while everyone is getting to know each other by going to IHOP in the middle of the night helps.
5. Enjoy the little things. Your senior year goes fast. Yeah, yeah everyone says that, but it’s true. Enjoy it all. From senior sunrise, to the rallies, the dances, hanging out with your friends in the school parking lot, cutting class to go to McDonald’s for four large fries. Soak up every moment. Spend a little more time with your friends – you might not see some of them for a long time. Same goes for your family too – this could be your last year living with your parents.

 

Once you move that tassel on graduation night, I hope you feel like you made the most of your senior year! Have any tips of your own? Comment below!