Just three years ago, you were a bright-eyed freshman. Now you’re at the top.
And while your final year of high school will be consumed with prepping for college and savoring every last minute with your friends, that’s not all there is to do. Peep this list of 12 things every senior should do before stepping foot on the big campus.
1. Have an Epic Summer: This is the last summer of your life that you’ll spend with little to no responsibility. Soak it up and enjoy it to the fullest. Go on day trips with the girls, visit the beach often, and fall asleep every night without setting an alarm.
2. Claim Senioritis: Caught doing that five-page paper the night before it’s due? Started finishing the last half of your math homework in the courtyard 30 minutes before class starts? Say you’re suffering from Senioritis. Nope, it won’t give you an excuse if you actually don’t finish your work on time (sorry), but it does give you a chance to brag about being a senior at every possible moment to those underclassmen who hang on your every word.
3. Smile for the camera: One of the best parts about being a senior? Taking senior photos! Tap into your inner supermodel diva self and work it in front of the lens.
4. Go to Prom: Even if you don’t have a date. It’s one of the last big things you’ll do as a high-schooler and you won’t want to miss out on all the fun.
5. Register to vote: You’ll be 18 this year! Throw an amazing party, and then take a few minutes to fill out a voter registration card. Welcome to adulthood, girl.
6. Solve a Problem without Mom and Dad: Did you schedule a shift for the same night of grandma’s 80th birthday? Got a grade that you know is undeserved? Before running to the parentals, make a plan to fix the problem on your own. It’s good practice for that “real world” everyone keeps warning you about.
7. Go Against the Grain: Living outside the box and doing your own thing once in a while will build independence and success. After all, the most successful people build empires on unique thoughts and actions.
8. Give and Get Autographs: Whether you have every yearbook from first grade on, or getting one has never seemed like a big deal, you’ll def need a copy of your senior yearbook. The school year will fly by, but this book will help you record every memory in pictures and words. Leave meaningful messages in your friends’ yearbooks and encourage them to do the same in yours — you’ll look back at what they wrote decades later and love every minute of it.
9. Learn to Survive on Your Own: Know how to cook a meal, disinfect a bathroom, and do a load of laundry without turning everything one color, and you’ll be good.
10. Stack Some Cash: Find a part-time job or start your own side gig. Making your own money now will teach you how to handle it later.
11. Make Friends Outside of Your Normal Circle: Being clique-y may have been cool freshman through junior year, but you’re just about grown now, and you’re gonna need to know how to get along with more than just the group you chill with at lunch. If your high school isn’t all that diverse, volunteer in your community or join a club outside of school.
12. Document This Moment in Life: You’ll never again experience a time quite like this. Right now, you’re the perfect mix of child and adult and everything is new and fresh. Whether it be through pictures, a YouTube vlog, or an old-fashioned diary, preserve your thoughts and feelings now. In the years to come, you’ll marvel at how much you’ve changed and accomplished.
What’s on your high school bucket list? Comment below!
