Tips for The New Senior Class

It is so hard to imagine that this year’s senior class has finally grown up. I have known many of my seniors since they were unsure, shy, aspiring underclassmen. Now they are the ones who are going to rule the school. Being a senior is not just a rite of passage; with the privileges come great responsibility. Here are do’s and don’ts to remember:

– Do think about your future and what you want to do after high school. It can be too easy to push off major decisions about your future until the future becomes your present. However, doing so is going to limit your opportunities down the road. Start developing your plans now.

– Don’t procrastinate on your college applications. How you work on your applications not only determines where you will get accepted, but also so much about your personality. Be thorough. Be detail-oriented. Be timely. Respect those who are helping you through the process, including your counselors and recommenders.

– Don’t forget that school still matters. Regardless of your plans next year, you are in school for a reason and that is to learn. Take every opportunity you can to learn as much as you can!

– Do remember that “senioritis” is not a real affliction. Getting bored of school is not a real medical or psychological condition. Really, it is just a made-up excuse to let school fall low on your priority list.

– Don’t’ forget to have fun! This is the last year that you will be spending with many of the people you have seen at least 200 days a year for perhaps the last 12 years. Your childhood friends will hold a special place in your life and the memories you create now will last for many years to come.

– Do learn the essential skills that you will need beyond high school. Get your license if you don’t have it already. Learn to do laundry — it is more complicated than you can imagine. Learn to cook — cereal does not count. Really learn to cook a few of your favorite dishes.

– Do get a job at some point in the next year. The money is certainly one piece of it. The more important reason, though, is that you are going to learn a new set of skills that no textbook will teach you.

– Don’t forget that this is more than another year of high school. This is another year of your life. Use this year to also pursue your personal interests. Perhaps you have been wanting to pick up the ukulele or read the entire Harry Potter series. Whatever it is big or small, explore all of your interests.

– Do savor every moment of this year. It is going to fly by faster than you can even realize right now.

All the best!

Your Insight Team