Senior Year Jitters

Senior year is so much fun, but it is also a time where a lot of nervousness comes into play.  You end up having to think about what you are going to do for the rest of your life for the first time.  First times are always scary, but they get better as you just keep doing it.  So don't be scared of thinking about the future; it gets easier.

Seniors must think about their major, what college that want to go to, what is going to happen after graduation, and what college will even be like.  It really scary stuff, but remember, you probably have some sort of support system to help you out with this.  You can always talk to a parent or guardian, sibling, any family members, or even a best friend.  They all understand how nerve wracking senior year can be, and they can all help you overcome your jitters.  

You can also think about seniors in college to help overcome your nervousness.  They have it a lot worse, because after graduation, they are forced into the real world with bills to pay and jobs to attend every day.  These are some problems college seniors deal with every day that may calm your jitters because you don't have to deal with that right now.  Even though I have not had to deal with this yet, my older sister has, and I can say that each of these points are absolutely true.

It is normal to be nervous to graduate and know what the future holds, and it is just a great part of what makes senior year the way it is.  

A New Life

Transitioning from high school to college can be very difficult to many people.  You go from living at home with you family and seeing your friends all the time that you have known for years, to going to a new place with usually no one that you know.  After your parents leave, you are left by yourself and are forced to go out of your little room to meet new people, which some will become your best friends for life.  There is a lot of pressure at this time, and it can sound daunting.  However, little do you know, that this experience of coming to a new place may be the best choice of your life.

Coming to college also makes you more responsible.  The day I moved in, when my parents left, my roommates and I just looked at each other because we did not know what to do in the moment.  We were by ourselves for the very first time.  Over time, we were forced to create a schedule for ourselves, and as a result, we became very responsible.  College is also a place to have fun though.  You do the stuff you couldn't do in high school, like sleeping over in your friend's room just because you could.  It is a whole new life, and it can be great!

The next time you think about how daunting moving into college is, try picturing all the fun stuff that is going to happen in the future.  College will be stressful, but it is also one of the greatest times of your life.  It is a whole new life, but try to make the best of it!

Managing Scholarships!

Scholarships can be a pain to apply for, but can be very helpful towards lowering your tuition fee for the school you are attending.  This is because there are so many out there, which is great; however, there can also be slim chances that you are going to win that scholarship.   Also, there is a great thing called senioritis that many are battling while scholarship applications are going on.  These are all problems that seniors face while trying to apply for scholarships. 

My best advice is to take it one scholarship at a time.  Do as many as you can, because there is more of a chance of you winning every time you submit another application.  Keep that in the back of your mind when you are struggling to finish that essay. 

There are also so many scholarships with so little qualifications.  These are all easy ones to apply for, and you can get money for it if you win! 

Scholarships can be worth the time if you win, and if you happen to not win one, then just keep trying again until you do!

One Word: Senioritis

Senioritis, we all know what it is.  It comes to every graduating senior at some point during the year, some earlier than others, and it never goes away until graduation.  It can be easy to blame your late and incomplete assignments on this so called disease, but there are slight ways to not let it totally affect the end of your year.

1. End bad habits before they start
• If you go into senior year with the mindset that it's going to be one big party and you'll slide through with a breeze, you're probably going to think that when you wake up everyday.  It can be hard to get out of the slacker mentality; we see how it affects us every year when we come back from summer vacation.  Don't start those thoughts, and most definitely don't give in and believe them.

1. Take it one day at a time
• Yes, it can be hard to work when keep thinking that there is only a month left of school.  Instead, try not to think about how much time you have left; Try thinking about the work that you have to get done for the next day.  Before you know it, you won't have any work to do for tomorrow and you'll be done!

1. Keep in mind that your grades still matter and do fully count
• Colleges ask for your full transcript at the end of the year, and will pull scholarships or any money out, if your grades don't align with how they were when you applied.  Also, if your grades seem to be better than when you applied to the school, then they have the choice of putting in more money into your account for your good work.  

It can be very difficult to finish the year strong, especially with senioritis.  However, people do finish strong, so it isn't impossible.  We've all had to deal with it, and while it can be fun, it is important to not let it drag you down.  Also, we have to deal with it again during our senior year of college, so you'll definitely need these tips then too.  

Those Dreaded Family Events

Yay! The holidays are coming!  This may mean good or bad news depending on how you feel about your family and those family meals you have every year.  Every family is different, but it seems as though everyone has those same crazy types of family members that come around once a year.  Even if you love seeing your family every year, even the ones you can never get away from, this year will probably begin all the dreaded questions about the rest of your life.

• Have you started looking at colleges?
• What do you want to major in?
• How do you think you are going to do living with a roommate?

The questions never stop, even when you are finally in college.  

• How's the food there?
• Any difference in your love life?
• What do you do on the weekends?

It seems as though we can never get away from these questions.  Yes, they can make these family events uncomfortable, but we all go through it.  It also most definitely wouldn't be the same without them.  So we just have to suck it up, and keep pretending we know what we are doing about the rest of our lives.

A Different "College Experience"

When you see this picture, what do you think of?  It should make you think of moving away to college.  This can commonly be the only thought on someone's mind when a student is reaching their senior year of high school.  Of course, going away for college can be an interesting experience, but that isn't everyone's dream.  Some students can't stand the thought of living away on their own, and that is okay.  Some students don't have the money to go away to a four-year school, and that is okay too.  Community college is okay.

There is also the major stereotype that 18-year olds should know what they want to do for the rest of their lives.  This can be very stressful on seniors and even sometimes college students.  At this point, we are all at a very young age, and it is okay to not know what you want to do for your life.  If you feel this way at the time college applications begin, you actually should think about community college.  This will make the decision of a major a little easier as you begin your college career.  Community colleges can also have more classes to choose from as an undecided major, unlike a four year school. 

If you are thinking about going to community college when you graduate high school, it is okay.  Community college will still give you the "college experience" that a lot of people wish for, just a different one.  Everything will be okay. 

College Applications

While senior year can be described as only fun, it also requires a lot of decision making and responsibility.  You are making the biggest decision in your life thus far.  With saying this, I have compiled, in my opinion, three of the most helpful tips that can help make the college application process a little easier.

1. Apply Early
• If you think about it, the earlier you apply, the sooner the admissions team at that college sees your application.  This can mean you have more of a chance of getting accepted.  
• If your school has rolling admission, then you can find out their admission decision sooner rather than later.
• If you apply early, then that means there is less stress later.  You can get all of your stress out of the way and then just wait.
2. Establish a manageable pace
• The worst thing you can do is wait until the last minute to crank out an essay the night before the application is due.  This will mostly have no good outcome, because the people who are reading your essay will most likely be able to see that you did write it out at the last minute.  That may not look the best when they are making the decision on whether or not they want you at their school.
• Instead, a smart idea is to set deadlines; this is especially if you are applying to a lot of colleges.  Make sure you know when the applications are due at each college.  Again, this is all about being responsible.  This will help in the long run with the stress and the work load overall.  
3. Be honest
• This is mainly to help with the essay part of the application.  This essay is what distinguishes you from the thousands of other applicants that are applying to this same school.  You want to be original and make it personal.  This is the very small glimpse that the college will receive of who you are, and will most likely be the biggest decision in the admissions team's decision making process.
• Also, keep in mind that there are so many ways that someone can figure out if information is true or not.  Don't make the decision that forces someone to look up that information.  Also, if there is any false information on your application, there is a major chance that you won't be accepted in to that school.

Yes, college applications can and will be stressful.  However, keep in mind that once they are completed, you will feel so much better and you can start having fun.  Everything is going to work out and it will all be okay.