Movin’ on up
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THOSE WHO’VE BEEN THERE
Advice to new high school seniors
Dear new senior: From someone who’s been there, done that, I have a few tips.
Three things you won’t survive this year without: Deep breaths. Some sort of comfort food. Saying thank you. Three caveats you’ve heard time and again but can be tempting to overlook:
Time operates like an oxymoron — slow at first and then moving all too suddenly, overwhelmingly fast, so you might need to consciously exert the effort to be present and appreciative of the people and place around you.
Don’t wait until the weeks before graduation to reach out and connect with classmates who you might not have been close with for the past four years. Start reaching out to new people on day one.
You will have a great deal of time to hone in on what makes you a standout applicant for college or career. You may not have articulated what you think about yourself so extensively before, so it’s possible that you’ll learn new things about your interests, strengths or weaknesses this year.
Three things to know about applying to college:
Senior year is a tricky balancing act because along with school, sports and extracurriculars, you’ll soon realize it’s critical to incorporate college research into your daily routine. Talk to your parents, siblings, friends who have graduated, and most importantly, your college counselors or experienced teachers. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2018 provides a broad overview of each college and university in the United States.
There’s no such thing as a stupid question. Don’t hesitate to ask college and university representatives any and all questions that you have.
Choose the college that is right for you. It’s not worth applying to a college based on name or reputation alone if that college isn’t the best fit. Stay true to your criteria. While there will be a lot of people who give you advice or their opinion, solicited or not, those people aren’t you, so don’t feel guilty if you have to tune them out.
You’re not a college student yet, so here are three pieces of advice for the remainder of high school:
Reach out and be kind to students in grades below you. Yes, you’re at the top of the food chain, but now you have a lot of eyes looking to you. Be a role model.
Cut your parents or guardians some slack. They want to help. And they’re feeling the stress, too. Keep them in the loop, and try to help out around the house.
Play! Of course it’s imperative that you stay driven and focused this year, but try not to take yourself too seriously. Do what makes you happy. But “play” does not mean “succumb to senioritis.” It means be smart about your time management.
And when graduation day nears, another challenge appears: the dilemma of how to say goodbye to high school and everyone you’ve met along the way. Take it one day at a time. And don’t underestimate the power of simply pausing to enjoy where you are before the moment escapes you.