HELP WANTED: Alumni Answer the Call with Advice for Seniors
September 16, 2009
Filed under Student Life
“Oh my gosh, I have no idea what’s going on! SOMEONE HELP ME!”
While most of us don’t want to admit it, this is pretty much the sentiment going through most seniors’ minds right now. With Mrs. Smiley telling us to choose our colleges now, being bombarded with questions and advice on choosing college majors from adults, and trying to get through the last year of high school, it can all get really hectic.
A fair number of people have read Frederick’s article on advise for freshmen, but it’s the seniors who don’t have an older class from whom to get information on how to juggle GPAs, scholarships, applications, “senior-itis,” and preparing for life after high school. Thus, I’ve enlisted the help of some of North Augusta’s alumni to share some words of advice to this year’s, and future seniors.
Preparing for College
We are all well-aware of our country’s economic status: it’s not too great at the moment. Thus, as Elizabeth Layne (class of 2007) put it, “colleges and universities will be much more selective and stingy with scholarships. The earlier a person has applied, the better chance he/she will be accepted into the college of their choice, and to receive scholarships.”
Basically, the earlier you apply for colleges and scholarships, the better. Also, Jennifer Lamback (class of 2009) advises that seniors “to apply for as many scholarships as you can – even if you think they’re dumb or you haven’t got a shot at getting them, apply anyways. You never know, and every little bit helps!”
When it comes to scholarships, the best advice seems to be to get them in quickly and that there is strength in numbers. However, I think it is important to say that one should not rush a decision such as this. On the other hand, if you think that you might want to go to a certain college, go ahead and apply because you never know where you might end up.
To be applicable to apply to college, however, requires that one works hard throughout their entire high school career, which brings us to the next topic:
Avoiding “Senior-itis”
We have all seen the symptoms, and some seniors have already started experiencing them: laziness, a desire to move on to better things, questioning the point of even trying, wearing a senior t-shirt too much, and occasionally drifting off and listening to a little voice say things like “What am I doing here?” “I don’t need to be doing this stuff because it doesn’t really matter any more.” “I wonder who would win in a fight, a team of ninjas or a pack of werewolves with jet-packs?” (Okay, I may be the only one to whom that the last symptom applies, but my money is on the ninjas!) It hits every senior at one time or another, “Senioritis in unavoidable!” says Stephanie Snider (class of 2006).
While it is a fun topic to joke about, senior-itis is a serious issue. It is really important to keep up all that hard work, especially in one’s final year of high school (hopefully). Lindsey Kelley (class of 2008) says that the best way to manage senior-itis is to simply “push through; doing your work and finishing strong is worth the 12 years it took to get here. How bad could a few more months be?”
Just suck it up and do the work because colleges will often look to see how their possible students manage their senior year since it is a good indicator of whether or not they are serious students.
Christofer Johnson (class of 2008) suggests that seniors should “stay active and to be sure to remember your priorities (it should be implied that keeping said priorities straight is also necessary). It’s really easy to get bogged down in what may seem an unsurpassable (mess), but if you (1) ‘stay focused on what is important’ and (2) ‘find something that helps you relax’ (everybody needs something to take the edge off sometimes), then you will survive this daunting experience that is the end of high school.”
Making the Most of Senior Year
Judging from the opinions of these alumni, in order to make the most of senior year, buckle down on the work, but don’t get too stressed out over it. If you don’t get into the college of your choice, it’s not the end of the word. Listen to the adults trying to help you because they have been through it all before and know what they are talking about. Make sure to actually work during your senior year, but also enjoy it, because there is a chance that you will never see some of your classmates ever again.
I leave you with some words of wisdom from these alumni:
Elizabeth Layne: “Senior year goes by so quickly, that one can not afford to make bad decisions. Before you know it, you will have graduated from high school and be starting the next phase of your life.”
Stephanie Snider: “My biggest piece of advice for the first year of college is to try something new. Don’t try everything, but find something you enjoy and go for it. Also, it’s a fact of life that you’ll lose friends. Find your truest ones and don’t let go.”
You’re not the only one who wonders what would happen in a fight between a team of ninjas and a pack of werewolves with jet packs. But I’d bet on the werewolves every time.
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