What I wish I knew in 12th grade—

For me, the toughest moment and biggest surprise of my senior year was that cold December day when I realized that graduation was still a far away. That was the day I visited the doctor and he diagnosed me with a terrible virus. I thought I wouldn’t make it through the rest of the year. The doctor told me that I had Senioritis. I had become too lazy and too comfortable with being a slacking senior. I figured that all of the hard work was over, and that the rest of my high school career would be a smooth ride. Boy was I wrong! December was the month when I started to do just enough to get by. My college applications were sent off and I had pretty good grades. I never really had to study, so now, I didn’t study at all. I had done enough buttering up to my teachers for recommendations and now I didn’t have to bother to go that extra mile to be the perfect student.

It was December and I had the worst mentality ever, “You can only be a senior once!” Very true that statement is, but only when taken in the right context. You can only be a senior once, but you only have one chance to get into college. For the sake of not wanting you to read another “essay,” here are some personal pointers.

- Realize that you have to wait an entire two months for an acceptance letter. Don’t fret, just be patient. Focus on anything else except the letter; the application has already been sent off. You can’t change it, so – Chill!

- Understand the difference between making good grades and making your best grades. Never do work just to get a passing grade. Always do your best work. It pays millions at the end of the year.

- Maintain the friendship with your friends, a good friendship with your teachers, and a great friendship with your parents. You will feel the urge to give all of your attention to your friends, but don’t forget about your teachers and your parents. You need them more than they need you.

- Don’t give up. It’s painful and it hurts. Senioritis has numerous side effects and graduation is the only cure. But, you’ve got to make due until the cure comes along. Don’t give up!

- Exam Grades! Whether good or bad, always remember that you still have to try your hardest, and you can never slack.

- The Countdown! It’s true. You have almost 50% of your senior year done, and only some 90-100 days remaining. Compare that to the time you’ve been in school overall and it can blow your mind. Don’t Explode! ?

- Scholarships, Financial Aid, and wrapping up your plans! It comes as one of the biggest surprises, so don’t let it pass you by. Apply for every scholarship you can. Begin filling out the FASFA and the CSS Profile. (Or get the information needed to complete the forms.) Also, even though you’ve sent out the first set of applications – why not send out a second set. February is the next deadline, so get to writing – again! Give yourself options.

- It’s not time for graduation quite yet. Clearly this was my biggest surprise and toughest moment. How did I deal with it – Well, I didn’t. You want graduation to be here sooner than it can. Just remember that school isn’t over yet and you have to work just as hard as you did in your freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Trust me – you’ll be glad you did!

Come back and see ALL OF US next month!