Things I Learned During My Senior Year of High School

The infamous senior year: it’s the last year of mandatory school and the final step right before the next chapter of your life. Bridges are being burnt, but some are still being built, friendships are being destroyed and others are being repaired. Throughout this time of transition, growth, and discovery, I found myself learning a few lessons that will undoubtedly be crucial to and relevant for the rest of my life.

1. Get out of your comfort zone to meet new people. Many people are under the impression it doesn’t matter getting to know kids in your high school because you’ll most likely never see them again, but senior year is the easiest year to make friends (besides freshman year) because frankly, you all start to stop caring. Throughout high school, provided you attend a public one, you have worked hard to build your own persona within the student body. You have your group of friends and your label and social standing, but when senior year comes, it all goes flying out the window. It becomes a lot easier to meet people you’ve never talked to before, because you’ve got nothing left to lose in your final year. Go out of your comfort zone and talk to someone you’ve seen in the halls before, but have never had a real conversation with. You may regret it in the future if you didn’t. I’ve made more friends in my senior year of high school than I did in the first three years.
2. What college you did or didn’t get into doesn’t determine your intelligence. Many seniors compare themselves to others based on the prestigious college they were or weren’t accepted to, but honestly shouldn’t. Colleges look at so much more than just academics, and some places just simply aren’t for some students. Wherever you get accepted to will give you an education and higher-level experience that’s worth your time and contribute to your personal growth. An Ivy League may come with prestige and glory, but don’t tunnel vision your focus on that. Focus on the right choice for you.
3. Don’t be so uptight. An unexcused absence or uncompleted homework assignment won’t kill you, it matters significantly less now than it did last year. Senior year is a time of preparing yourself for the transition into your adult life and higher education experience, not stressing over busy work for a class.
4. Cherish the time you have with teachers that actively care about you. High school teachers have the amazing superpower of being more than just educators, but also mentors. They will have advice for you and will help you through more than just academic problems. Go talk to your favorite teacher, it’ll make them feel good about their impact upon students.
5. Appreciate your parents. This is also a huge change for your family, and your parents will start missing you the moment you step foot in your dorm room. Since you are an official adult, you may find that you’ll wish you still had your mother’s meals to come home to and your father’s advice or help with homework. Now is the time to realize how much your parents have done for you for the past 18 years, and thank them for all of their unconditional love and support. You’ll miss it, trust me, and I already am even though I haven’t moved out yet.
6. College is optional, remember? You’re willingly putting yourself in a position to learn an live in an educational environment for the next four years of your life. Whether you do or don’t attend a higher-level institution, make sure you don’t just let the past twelve years of your schooling go to waste. Yes, school sucks and nobody likes it, but try looking on the bright side: where would you be today without it? Try to find something to take away from the experiences you’ve had and make the most of them.

I hope you can benefit from these little pieces of advice that I have learned firsthand from my almost-over senior year experience. Like I said earlier, you have nothing to lose this year, so go out of your comfort zone and make this last year of high school memorable!

 

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E.L.