This is it! Your final year of high school has finally arrived. You can already tell it’s going to be a terrific year: you’re on top of the food chain, you know the ins and outs of your high school, and you have your loyal friends by your side. But before you break out the streamers, there are things you need to take into consideration. Even though you’ll be off to college before you know it, you still have an entire school year ahead of you. So you need to make sure you’re ready. Be excited – you’re almost at the end! Here are great back-to-school tips for your senior year.

Make Your Senior Year Count

We all understand the importance of maintaining good grades through your first three years of high school. But the push to perform doesn’t end once you become a senior. Colleges pay attention to your senior year grades; and while the extent to which final year grades impact your GPA might vary from school to school, a sudden drop in performance reflects poorly on you when college admission teams review your application. You need to prove that you still prioritize your work, even when you’re fighting off senioritis.

Colleges understand how exciting senior year can be; nonetheless, that’s still not an excuse to start slacking. From the first day of school until the day you’re holding your diploma, we guarantee that you’ll have a lot work on your plate. So enter your senior year of high school with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic.

Plan Ahead for the College Application Process

You visited different colleges, researched each campus, and picked out classes that will surely impress college admission teams. But your work is far from over! In fact, it just began. Schedule an appointment with your guidance counselor and try to map out a college application schedule. This map should include SAT/ACT dates, college application deadlines, as well as cutoff dates for any scholarships.

Come Prepared For Senior Year

This may seem like a no-brainer but it’s easy to forget the basics, especially with your hectic life outside of high school. Make sure you’re stocked up on notebooks, folders pens, paper, calculators, and any other school supplies you may need. If you don’t have a planner, now is the time to get one. A well-kept planner can take some stress away from managing your assignments and schedule. Remember: school supplies are your bread and butter, so try not to neglect them.

Say Your Goodbyes

The last few weeks of senior year are essentially a long string of bittersweet moments. Don’t act surprised if you shed a tear or two. Be sure to spend as much time with your friends as possible (without sacrificing school work, of course). Participate and attend milestone events like your senior prom or senior trip. And even though it may seem early, maybe start organizing your belongings, and thinking about what you want to bring along to college.

Good Luck On Your Next Adventure

Senior year will certainly be one to remember. And even though you’ll feel like the king/queen of the world, there are a lot of responsibilities that you simply cannot ignore. The college admission process is a struggle by itself. Combine it with your workload, and you may experience a stress overload. Things are about to change, which can be scary, exhilarating, sad, and incredibly exhausting all at once. You have so much to look forward to, but make sure you know what lies ahead before you even kick off senior year. Just remember to have fun. After all, it’ll end before you know it.

For more tips on your senior year or tricks to make the most of your college experience, check out some of our other helpful blogs!