As spring continues, the scramble to tidy up quarter three grades, senior skip day and the beginning of extravagant promposals can only mean one thing: graduation is fast-approaching.
Graduation isn’t just daunting for seniors, but for students at every level. Whether it’s the emotional close of a chapter or the existential dread of realizing your required schooling is almost over, it never hurts to be prepared.
Freshmen
At this point in your high school career, your goal is to establish good habits that will carry you into the future. Fourth quarter isn’t too late to start “locking in.” Your classes this year are the most manageable, which makes establishing good routines easier than it will be later. Make sure to review study material often and turn your assignments in on time as best you can. Establish a healthy work-life balance now as well. Go to sleep early and make time for exercise and breaks. If you establish these specific routines now, they will become second nature and much easier to do when you get busier and advance in grade level.
When you’re in your classes, do your best to truly engage. Being invested in your courses, even if they weren’t your top choice, helps you get the most out of them. Joining clubs and participating in school events can help you get a better grasp of the things you’re interested in, helping you to plan classes for future years and broadly planning about your future. Identifying specific interests now will help you decide if you want to go to college, and if so, which study areas you want to pursue further.
Sophomores
You have completed your first year of high school and things will begin to pick up soon. Now is a great time to start utilizing summer breaks to be productive. Try to find opportunities to participate in your community or interests. A great resource for finding opportunities is the College and Career Center (CCC) at Ida B. Wells. Engaging with the community by volunteering, taking summer classes and participating in internships helps you expand on your interests. With these strong learning experiences, going into junior year and planning for the future will be much smoother.
When deciding what courses you want to take during your junior and senior years, it’s important to take classes that will challenge your understanding and intellectual abilities, within reason. The best thing to do is to take classes you’re genuinely interested in because, which will allow you to find more motivation when learning and studying.
Juniors
Junior year is likely your busiest and most academically challenging year of high school. This year, it’s important to create healthy habits and prioritize following them. Having a strong, healthy baseline will allow you to accomplish the most and get the most out of the time you have. If you haven’t prioritized it yet, the fourth quarter isn’t too late to start. Setting up a healthy baseline is helpful for your final year of high school, as well as any future schooling or careers you might go into.
It’s also a great time to dive deep into an interest you’ve had. If you’ve been part of a club, look for opportunities to participate in leadership or contribute new ideas. If you’ve been interested in a particular subject or problem, try to think of ways to contribute to it, potentially by teaching or creating a project. By expanding on an interest you’ve had, you can solidify your foundation of knowledge on the subject and gain experience with it.
Junior year is also a great time to research future opportunities and explore what you may be interested in pursuing, whether that be college, trade school or other varying careers. Listening to your interest will make this process easier. Begin researching schools or jobs you might want to pursue, ask friends or family members any questions you may have and begin thinking about the steps you will take to move towards these options. The CCC is a great resource for this, as they’re always ready to help through every step of the process to finalize your post-high school plans.
Seniors
Graduation is likely the most daunting for seniors as it marks the end of their high school journey. This will be a time of reflection and high emotion as this chapter closes and their future opens up.
This is the final “lock-in.” Try to finish the year off as strong as possible. To avoid senioritis, try to focus on aspects of your future that you’re looking forward to and how succeeding in these final few months will help you reach those things.
Nearing the end of the school year can be very stressful. But, remember to rely on your support system: like friends, family and school staff. You’re not alone if you’re feeling uncertain or worried. Try your best to stay calm and be open to new experiences. The CCC is a great place to go for practical college and career advice, and your peers are there for emotional support. If you have a friend or family member in the early stages beyond high school, talking to them and getting a grasp of what it’s like can also be reassuring.
