Senior year….finally. Whether you’re excited or terrified about embarking on this new, post-high school chapter of your life, there is definitely still a lot going on during these last 2-3 months of your school year.
Although your senioritis has surely kicked in to some degree, it’s important to remember not to let your grades slip a considerable amount. You may already be accepted to college, but your dream school can very well revoke your acceptance. You may not have been able to read past the “Congratulations!”, but your acceptance letter said that you are accepted to said college on the condition that you complete high school with the same personal and academic achievement on which your acceptance was based. According to Phillip Ballinger, the Director of Admissions of University of Washington, “We see it as a matter of fairness to students who were not admitted or wait-listed.” This is not meant to scare you, though. The cases in which high school seniors had their acceptances revoked were cases in which students had a considerable decline in their grades. If you’ve had mostly A’s in high school and received a B or two, you definitely should not be panicking.
While the end of senior year means caps, gowns, and commencement addresses, it also means AP exams. If you are enrolled in AP classes and have upcoming exams, it is very tempting to slack off. After all, you don’t need to even send the scores in to your college! What you may not realize, though, is that passing an AP exam can give you college credits and in some cases exempt you from introductory courses in college. Having credits from before college will not only give you a little peace of mind, but can also help financially: you may be able to graduate a semester early, thus saving that much tuition. If your score on the exam exempts you from an introductory course, it can allow you to jump right into more advanced, and perhaps more interesting, classes. It is important to remember, though, that you are not at a disadvantage if you do not have AP credits, so don’t worry!
One of the more underrated parts of the new college phase is the shopping for dorm room furnishings and school supplies. Major store chains such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Target have entire sections dedicated to helping you get everything you need for your room, offering vast selections of things you didn’t even know you “needed.” Buying the necessities really adds to the exciting “fresh start” feeling of your upcoming freshman year experience. Before you check out of the store though, be sure to find out the measurements of your room. The first day of college is stressful enough; unpacking your twin-sized sheets only to find that your new bed requires twin XL sheets (I didn’t know the difference until 6 months ago) would certainly not help matters. If your school doesn’t give you specifics, the most valuable resource in this regard would be someone who currently attends or attended your future college: he or she will (hopefully) know how much closet space you will have, whether or not your will really need those bed risers, and if the beds come with attached drawers underneath. If you don’t know anyone, reach out the your college’s residential life and housing department.
LeeLee Borzak, Private Tutor
sb says
This is such practical and sensible advice! Takes the jitters out of senioritis.