Words of Advice From a High School Senior
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Danica Joyner
With the school year coming to an end, seniors have been called to reflect on their past four years at Hamilton High School. Some seniors responded to a survey and wanted to give advice to the incoming senior class as well as general advice for some underclassmen.
As a junior, I had nervous excitement about senior year. I knew taking multiple AP courses would be hard, but for my goals, it was worth it. Some seniors have commented that it is important to challenge yourself senior year. One of the things I remember being told was that if you’re a student who has consistently taken multiple APs for a couple years in a row, if you just take easy courses your senior year, like taking all PE courses, colleges will see that and think that you have been checked out for the year and wanted to “slack off.” However, that being said, don’t try to overload your schedule, Many seniors have taken 3-4 AP classes and have regretted it. Many seniors wish they had started taking AP classes sooner so they wouldn’t be so overloaded senior year. It looks just as good to colleges to take a few APs over two or three years rather than taking them all in one year.
Of course, one of the cliché criticisms of senior year is senioritis. Although not classified as an epidemic, it’s very contagious. My first run-in with senioritis was my sophomore year, but I never understood the full effect until this year. It can be hard, especially toward the end of the year, to find motivation. Senioritis usually hits its peak after college applications have been submitted and again when decisions are out. Seniors recommend trying to find a balance in your schedule. Having a focus will help with AP classes because it is a free period for a chance to catch up or get ahead.
More than 50% of respondents said they would redo sophomore year, about 26% said junior year and only 20% said senior year. Many seniors said they would redo sophomore year to take harder courses so they could make future years easier and spread out their courses so they didn’t have to take them all senior year. Multiple seniors reported that sophomore year is when they started to slack off in school, or just didn’t get the best grades, which affected their overall GPA. While it is completely possible to come back from one Most seniors recommend trying to spread out harder classes and begin them as early as you can. AP classes can help boost your unweighted GPA, but that C is still counted as a C overall. It is not recommended to take a ton of APs just for the GPA boost. Seniors have noticed that they tend to do better in the classes that they are more interested in and can handle the harder level classes a little more than if they weren't interested in the classes. This is when senioritis can take a big toll. Seniors have reported that they focus on the classes they’re interested in, but when battling senioritis, they cannot get work done in the classes they don’t like.
Along with the stress from classes, college applications are another stressor for many seniors. Some seniors regret not starting applications early, and the ones who did highly recommend it. The summer going into senior year, it is a good goal to have all of your colleges listed in order of your favorites and have at least a draft of your essays. It is also a good idea to ask teachers for letters of recommendation either at the end of junior year, over the summer, or early senior year, so they have time to write them, as well as be able to write one for you if they are really popular. Getting college stuff done over the summer doesn’t sound fun, and it can be stressful, but it’s less stress that you’ll have later down the road, especially when taking harder classes in your senior year.
The last thing to remember is to enjoy senior year and have fun. Everyone in your grade will be going around the country to different schools, so enjoy hanging out with your friends while you see them every day. It’s normal for friendships to end senior year and even the beginning of college, but there is more to look forward to in college, and you’ll meet so many new people. Go out and enjoy the experience and the time spent with friends. Seniors highly recommend going to senior class events, even when it’s with a group of people you aren’t all friends with. It may be scary at first, but they are so much fun. It’s always exciting talking to friends about college and seeing where everyone goes. Juniors, good luck with your last year of high school!
