EmailAs a high school senior, it can be difficult to sometimes get your priorities straight. Between a social life, schoolwork, preparing for college, and other obligations, it may be hard to determine which is the most important and how to get everything done in the short amount of time you have.
First of all, education should be your number one priority. Your current grades will not only affect your chances of graduation, but will also have an impact on the college you attend. Most students don’t realize that universities still look at your last semester’s grades in high school and have the right to turn you away if your GPA significantly drops.
With that, it is also crucial to work on college and scholarship applications as soon as possible. Many schools and programs have early deadlines, and will refuse to even review your application any later. Realize that applications tend to be quite extensive, with detailed information. They will ask you about your academics, your extracurricular activities, your parents, and your financial circumstances.
When doing applications, try to keep track of what you have applied for and keep copies of your application. Not only will this benefit your own memory, but you will have a backup if there are any mistakes in processing your application. It will also make future applications quicker to fill out since you will have a reference from which you can copy information.
Other obligations may seem significant in the moment, but you need to figure out what will benefit you the most in the long run. Meetings and clubs expect you to still participate and be an active member of their organizations, so those are acceptable to pursue. However, supplemental plans or silly clubs with your friends may not be as necessary. For me, my job is important, but I needed to make sure I had enough time for homework and applying to schools so I had to get my hours cut. Sacrifices are very apparent during senior year. If something does not directly give you a positive impact on your future, it is not worth your time in the present.
Lastly, senior year is still senior year. Although you need to trim your time, it is okay to keep your social life. Having some fun and keeping good relationships with your peers will keep you sane and keep you happy. Make memories with different senior activities with your friends, just don’t let the fun overpower all of your priorites.
