"Make senior year great, but be sure you’re prepared for what comes after graduation." Photo courtesy of Kristen Hegel
By: Kristyn Blackwood
Senior year is finally here, class of 2012! It has been a long time coming has it not? It seems like just yesterday we were scared little freshmen walking through the commons praying not to trip in front of everybody. This is supposed to be the best year of our school life. We get to be as independent as we want but we still have the security of knowing our parents are still here for us if we need them. Although the year is going to seem very slow, it will be over before we know it.
Walking in the first day and knowing that everyone else is younger than us felt amazing, but we still have a long way to go. Senior year is said to be an easy-going year with our academic classes because many people just think they don’t have to try since most all colleges look at your freshman through junior year. That, however, is not true at all. Colleges especially look at how your senior year is going so they can see what kind of a committed student you are. Seniors this year need to make sure they are working just as hard now as they have been their entire high school career. High school is all about preparing for college and that is all high school students are waiting on and thinking about, but what seniors really need to focus on the most this year is grades and applying for colleges and scholarships.
Speaking of scholarships, those are a big deal. You need to be applying for as many of those as you can. College is not cheap these days and you should take as much as you can get. In-state scholarships are more abundant than out-of-state, as well as in-state tuition being less expensive than out-of-state. Although getting scholarships for in-state schools is more likely to get, you shouldn’t limit yourself to schools just inSouth Carolina. There are so many more options out there for every major.
Now onto colleges, when to apply and to how many schools you should apply to is definitely important. To keep your options open you should apply to as many colleges as you can. The more you apply to the more of a chance you have to get into a college. Do not limit yourself to just your number one pick. You also need to apply to your second, third, and fourth choice. Also, don’t apply too late. The perfect time to start applying for college is now! You want to get an acceptance letter as soon as you can so there is no stress as to what college you will be attending in the fall.
So all in all, senior year is going to be the best, but also do not get too carried away with having fun that you miss out on all the opportunities and dates to apply for scholarships and colleges. Make senior year great, but be sure you’re prepared for what comes after graduation.
the Loudspeaker 