A-Z of Senior Year

A-Z+of+Senior+Year

APPLY EARLY

When it comes time to apply to college, applying early is the best thing you can do. You want to have time to decide which college you want to go to and turn in all the paper-work and money they require. The same goes for scholarships.

BE POSITIVE

No matter how much work you have on your plate or how stressed you are, keep a positive mindset and know that you will get through it. Graduation is almost here and everything will be okay, keeping a positive mindset will help you get through the stress and hard work.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Join clubs!! Get involved and make sure you are getting community service hours under your belt because while it does make you a great and kind person, colleges love looking at the immense amount of community and school service that students are involved in. They want these students!!

DON’T DROP THAT GPA

Keeping your grades up is one of the most important things to focus on throughout your high school career. Senioritis is real… don’t let it take control and destroy all the hard work you’ve put in throughout the years. Finish out strong.

EXPECTATIONS

Holding high expectations for yourself will push you to do better in school and make you a happier person overall. Just don’t push yourself over the edge and stress yourself out over your class rank.

FAFSA

The FAFSA may not be due until June following graduation, but some colleges will require you to submit it sooner so that you can receive scholarships or financial aid from the school. So, do your FAFSA as soon as you can. The earlier the better.

GO TO SPORTING EVENTS

Going to your last high school football game is a surreal moment, and you don’t want to miss out on that for 4 years. Going to any sporting event you can and dragging your friends along is a very good way to make the most out of your high school experience. You may be hesitant to have school spirit and join the student section, but this makes the experience so much better and meaningful.

HAVE AN OPEN MIND

A major issue in our country right now is that no one is willing to have an open mind, and people won’t listen to anything that someone else says if it’s different than their own views. Learning how to keep an open mind and just listening to other people and think about what they are saying will help to turn the future into a more mutual place.

INDEPENDENCE

College is just around the corner and you need to start preparing for the real world and the amount of independence you are about to obtain. High School already gives you some level of independence, but once you reach college and beyond, you’re on your own. Be ready.

JOB

Some people enjoy working, and that is completely alright, but if your parents are okay with you not having a job, enjoy that while it lasts. Once you get a job, you’ll have one for the rest of your life… or until retirement, but either way, that’s a long time. Focus on school and have fun while you can.

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

Being so busy and stressed can really take a toll on your brain and body, so make sure you take breaks and/or pace yourself throughout the year. Also, to AP Calculus students, you better know your limits. ;D

LISTEN

Listen to your teachers, your friends, your parents. Learn by listening to your teachers, be a good friend by listening to your friends and giving them advice, and listen to your parents just because you should. Life will be easier if you just listen.

MAJOR

They say you have plenty of time to decide what you want to be or study once you get to college until second semester of senior year rolls around and you still have no idea what you want to do with your life. Thinking about something you enjoy, and trying to apply it to a career is the best way to start, and it’s good to have some direction when you first get to college so you don’t have to be there longer than needed. Time flies, so research major options at colleges you’re thinking about and make sure you go somewhere that will offer you the major you’re looking for.

NAP

Napping, or getting enough sleep at night, is the most important thing about getting through school. Keep your brain refreshed by staying awake at school and taking a short nap at home. They say sleeping after you’ve learned something new is the best way to retain the information. It’s a win-win.

OFFERED DRUGS?

Say no. They will kill you. They will ruin your life, so don’t do it.

PROCRASTINATION

This one hits everyone pretty hard. Pushing off your work until the night before it’s due, and pulling an all-nighter to get the bare minimum done. Try your best to set aside time each night to work on essays, projects, homework, studying, etc., so that procrastination won’t become a problem. Your effort and work will be better if you work on things over time.

QUESTIONS

Ask your teachers so many questions. If you don’t understand something, keep asking questions until you do. That’s what they are there for, for you to learn, so make sure they fulfill their purpose.

ROLE MODEL

As upperclassmen, you are the role models for the underclassmen and younger students who are still learning how to navigate the ways of high school. Make sure you’re being a good role model and showing the underclassmen the right way to act and get your stuff done.

SOCIAL LIFE

Focusing on your education is smart, but sometimes it can be too much, and we need friends to help us through the year. Make sure to take time to hang out with your friends and do something other than just school.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Senior year is one of the hardest years concerning workload, especially if you’re taking AP classes. The most efficient way to stay on top of things during your senior year is to learn time management skills, so that you are not overwhelmed by the accumulation of school work and college preparation all at once.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Show up to school, attendance matter. If you miss too much school, you will not graduate. Plus, makeup work sucks, so show up to school.

VERY LITTLE TIME

High school goes by way faster than you think. One minute you are wishing for graduation and the next, you realize it’s all about to be over (plus you’re going to have to start paying for your education). Make memories and hold onto them. Remember that you don’t have as much time as you think, so make the most of it.

WORK ETHIC

Make sure you go home and get your homework done, and finish your work in class. Study as much as your brain will let you. Don’t be lazy and push things off, do them when they are due, and build a good work ethic to bring with you to college.

XTRA XTRA

Join Journalism! It’s a whole lot of fun, and you get to be a staff writer for the Cass Trumpet!

YOU GOT THIS

Senior year is the most stressful year of high school, and at many times you’ll feel like you want to give up. Don’t. Once you push past the stress and anxiety of everything going on in your life, the hard work pays off. You got this! You can do it!

ZELL MILLER AND HOPE

Zell and HOPE are State scholarships funded by the Georgia Lottery, and awarded to students who meet the GPA, SAT/ACT, and rigorous course requirements. Keep up with your unweighted GPA on GeorgiaFutures, and make sure you take your tests to meet the needed score!