Are you graduating soon? Here are the top high school senior tips to get you prepared and ready for the next steps!
It’s easy to slack off or get senioritis when you have finished your college applications, submitted your papers, and prepared everything.
However, don’t be deluded because you can do so much in your senior year!
Check out these high school senior tips and see how much you have checked off your list or haven’t yet.
Plus, these are the top high school senior tips that I wished I knew in my senior year.
Most Important High School Senior Tips
1. Apply for Internships
It is never too early to start applying for internships or part-time jobs.
Once you finish your college applications, don’t slack off!
Instead, use that time wisely to keep you prepared and ready.
The more experience you gain in any field, the better it is for your future career.
Spend that time to enrich yourself, learn more things, and keep yourself going.
You can visit your school office to see if they have any internship opportunities in the local area.
Usually, your counselors will have information on any part-time jobs, internships, and scholarships and will pin them on a notice board.
Try to apply early and to many so you are not limited in your choices.
It’s great to gain as much experience as you can so you can get a feel for the real world and get a taste of what working is like.
2. Balance Your Classes
Usually, you have more elective classes or free time in your senior year if you plan your high school schedules correctly.
Knock out your language requirement courses early on in middle school and beginning of high school.
Try to finish as many core classes as you can and complete most of your high school requirements before senior year.
My senior year was pretty balanced because I had a few core classes and some elective classes that gave me plenty of time.
Use that free time that you get to apply for internships, part-time jobs, or explore your major.
You don’t want to be stuck in a bunch of difficult classes that take away most of your time.
Instead, your senior year should be balanced so you can have time for fun and transition.
Use that time to explore your interests, take on a job, or get a mentor.
3. Combat Senioritis
I know how easy it is to just slack off and disregard your senior year.
However, beware that your grades will matter and your application can get revoked if your grades drop too much.
Stay on top of your assignments and homework.
Avoid senioritis by:
- creating a list of goals that you want to accomplish
- reminding yourself how hard you got here
- setting a timeline of things that you want to finish
If you are afraid of getting senioritis or slacking off, try to get your friends to participate together.
Encourage each other to stay motivated and create fun dares on what would happen if anyone slacks off.
It’s ok to slack off or give yourself a break once in a while, but once it becomes a habit, it’s detrimental to your academic career.
Remind yourself that it is the last year of high school and you have worked so hard to get to where you are right now.
You don’t want to lose your self-discipline at the finish line so push through and reward yourself at the end.
4. Take Grad Pictures
You should definitely find some cute spots to take your grad pictures.
Avoid the crowds and busy days by picking a less hectic time and a cute area.
Prepare items that you might need like flowers, a graduation gown, a stole, a graduation wreath, a cap, etc. for the photo.
Set up a time to meet up with your friends to all take it together.
These will be a special memory and can be used as cute gifts.
If you have a grad party, you can even use the photos as a decor piece.
Some cute areas for grad pictures:
- anywhere with flowers
- a clear sky as the background
- in front of your college campus
- in front of a popular area on your college campus
- on a staircase or steps
- near the beach or ocean
And some cute poses for grad pictures:
- everyone raising their hand with their backs turned
- a hugging photo
- everyone holding each other’s hands
- a silly picture with ghost faces
- each person giving another one a piggyback ride
- holding grad caps in the air
5. Save & Learn to Budget
Another one of my most recommended high school senior tips is to learn how to save money and budget correctly.
If you haven’t learned how to budget or save your money yet, learn it now!
You can either take a quick course, watch videos, or read articles.
Some quick tips that have helped me save money are:
- creating a set budget for spending
- setting an alert for high spending rates (you can do this on your bank app for alerting you for big spending)
- set aside money each week or month that you want to save and don’t touch it
And some hacks for budgeting:
- create an expense tracker to see where your money is going
- cut back on any unnecessary expenses like subscriptions that you don’t use anymore
- buy in bulk and get items like (toilet paper, water, pasta, drinks, snacks)
If you currently have a part-time job, start saving money.
The earlier the better because you want to be smart with your spending and saving.
You also want to have your own credit card so you can start building credit.
But beware of overspending and use your credit card wisely.
You don’t want to be in a bunch of credit card debt and get a hit on your credit score.
6. Apply for Scholarships
Keep on applying to those scholarships.
The best advice that I can give is to constantly apply for scholarships.
If you are unsure about how to apply for scholarships, check out The Ultimate Guide to Win Scholarships (From a Full-Ride Recipient)
I cannot stress enough how important and amazzzzzing scholarships are.
They will help lessen the burden on your tuition and college costs.
Plus, you don’t have to take out as many student loans or stress about paying for college.
I’m a full-ride scholarship recipient and I am always thankful for how much scholarships have taken away my burden from college.
Instead of worrying about costs, I can fully focus on school and make the most out of it.
So, I encourage you to apply for scholarships, internships, and jobs and keep yourself busy.
If I had to pick one of the most important high school senior tips, this would be it.
7. Learn to Cook (even just a little)
I started experimenting with cooking more in my senior year of high school and I’m so glad I did.
It became such a piece of cake to whip up something in my dorm and even easier once I entered the apartments.
Familiarize yourself with how to use cooking appliances, temperatures for baking, and measurements.
You want to have a few recipes that you like and often go to for simple meals.
I love making pasta, so I specialized in a few variations that I love and refer to all the time.
The top pasta recipes that I always make are spaghetti with meat sauce and Alfredo with garlic shrimp.
Even though the dining halls fed me most of my college career, it was still nice to cook once in a while.
Plus, you don’t want to be burning your kitchen down or setting the fire alarm off once you get to college.
It’s also a great idea to familiarize yourself with expiration and storage ideas.
You can always google how long before a certain food goes bad and how to properly store leftovers.
8. Switch Up Your Style
College will be a time to explore and you can go in with a different style and no one will notice.
You can get a haircut, change your wardrobe, and experiment with different hairstyles.
During your senior year of high school, you can prepare for this change by saving up money or stocking up on pieces for your new wardrobe.
This might also be the time when you experiment with makeup.
It’s totally fine if you don’t wear makeup, but it is a good idea to practice so you will be prepared for job interviews.
Just fixing up your brows, curling your eyelashes, and applying some lip tint can change your overall appearance.
Try to get into a skincare routine if you don’t already have one.
You might want to start with the basics like cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen before jumping into other products.
Yes, senior year of high school is when you want to experiment and change things up for college.
No one will know you in college (maybe a few of your high school buddies) and you can rock any style that you have been wanting to try.
9. Start a Workout Routine
If you don’t already have a workout routine, consider starting one.
It does NOT have to be super intensive or rigorous.
You can start by walking a certain number of steps or doing a set of push-ups to get started.
Check out any workout videos or routines and practice slowly before getting into a full-on routine.
Working out will alleviate your endorphin levels and energize you.
And that is amazing because you want to be feeling your best and keeping your immunization levels healthy.
You probably won’t get much exercise each day because of studying, sitting in class, and attending organizations.
However, starting a workout routine and sticking to it will push you to work out a bit each day.
So, the sooner you start a workout routine and stick to it, the better you will be once you enter college.
Interested in more tips and hacks for high school or college? Check out 17+ Jaw-Dropping Life Hacks for Students.
10. Research Your Major
If you have a major, explore it more.
Check out any opportunities where you can get experience related to your major.
Apply for any internships, volunteer opportunities, or shadowing someone.
If you are indecisive or don’t have a major declared yet, this is the time to explore different majors.
You can try taking assessments, and career tests, or getting a taste of what jobs are out there.
The more you know about what you are getting into, the more prepared and determined you will be for getting there.
You will be mentally and physically prepared for what your future career might entail and what your daily work life will look like.
And if you realize that you hate the descriptions or experiences, then you know early on to switch your major or pick a different career path.
If you have to switch your major, it is totally fine!
Over half of the students change their major at least once in their college career, so you don’t have to worry if you need to change your major too.
It is extremely easy, but it is a good idea to talk with your academic advisor before switching your majors.
Sometimes you can’t switch back into a major so be cautious if you switch out and want to switch back in.
11. Start a New Hobby
This might be the last thing on your mind, but starting a new hobby or interest is always beneficial.
If you have been trying to try out a new sport or learn how to paint, start now!
Thinking about getting into astrology or geography? You can explore them as interest and dig deeper once you join clubs and organizations in college.
College is so much more interesting when you have a hobby and join clubs with people who have the same interests as you.
And if you have ever been interested in a different language, try to learn a word a day.
You never know if you want to travel there and practice your language.
Did you know that you can study abroad in college?
So if you have a place that you have always wanted to visit and they speak a different language, start practicing now!
And if you discover that the hobby you started does not have a club in college, you can always start one!
Did these hacks and tips help you stay busy for senior year? If you want to learn more about high school senior tips or hacks, check out:
What to Wear for College (13+ Wardrobe Essentials)
