10 Tips to Get You Through Senior Year

The final year of high school can be overwhelming. You’ve got a full class schedule, a senior thesis to write, college applications are due, a job, clubs, sports… the list goes on and on. So we asked Ruth Oliver, a recent Great Hearts grad, to give us the top 10 things scholars can do to help to take the edge off of senior year.

Top 10 Tips for Senior Year

1: Prioritize—The weekend is your greatest asset. Use it wisely.

2: Utilize your resources—Your college counselors and teachers are not only there to help with the big things, like applying to college or tutoring every day, but are there for you even in the little things. Ask your college counselor to proofread your college application, or ask for advice from the teachers about college. They are happy to share and help, you won’t regret talking with them.

3: Communicate with your teachers—They know senior year is hard, but all students perform differently. The more you communicate with them about your struggles, the easier it is for them to help you succeed.

4: Do your best work—I know senior year is tiring, but truly striving to do your best on all the homework and assignments makes class time and even tests less of a hurdle. It eliminates the need to cram and is an easy and consistent way to show your teachers you are striving to be your best, even when the journey is tough.

5: Make use of your summer—The more you get done in the summer, the less sleep you’ll miss during the school year. Even five pages of thesis reading a day or researching a college every week significantly decreases the workload once you enter senior year.

6: Be organized—I received a lot of handouts for college, thesis and each of my classes, and most those papers had important notes and passwords, so the easier they are to find the easier your life will be.

7: Stay busy—I mean, obviously don’t kill yourself, but senior year is your last opportunity to take advantage of some of the benefits that come with high school. Try a new sport, join clubs, and don’t be scared to make friends.

8: Live in the moment—With all the projects and innumerable things were involved in, it is easy to always be thinking ahead to the weekends, or the break you’ll be able to get when you finally turn in all your college applications or looking forward to the senior trip. But, in the end, you’ll realize some of your best memories are from the little moments—happy times in class, laughing with friends, or discussing your favorite book. Find the beauty in every moment.

9: Be sure of yourself—With all the college applications and life decisions facing you, you may feel overwhelmed by all the responsibility that suddenly falls to your shoulders. You must decide what you’re going to do with the rest of your life and decide what sort of person you are and want to become. The colleges you are accepted to or the scores you get on standardized testing do not define who you are. Know who you are and work hard, and no matter the outcome, you can be confident that you tried your best.

10: Use your time wisely—There are a lot of opportunities that your teachers will provide you with to be able to handle the workload of senior year. Take advantage of any study periods, extra time before extracurriculars, sports after school, and lyceums. These will allow you to stay ahead of the game and perform exceptionally.

Good luck seniors. Make it a great year!