How to Prepare for Senior Year
I know – summer hasn’t even started yet…BUT if you’re a junior coming to the end of the year, it’s a good idea to start looking forward to the culmination of your high school career.
Below, we outline some tactics for getting yourself ready for senior year.
Rejuvenate: Junior year is super stressful: from standardized tests to college visits to keeping up your GPA, it’s just a heck of a year. So, the summer before senior year can be used to recharge your batteries. We’re not advocating for atrophy here, but rather for healthy self-care in advance of your final year. Spending time outdoors, reading for pleasure, hanging out with friends and family, and staying active can help you to mentally, physically, and emotionally prepare for senior year.
SAT/ACT Again: Depending on your situation, senior year might be another chance to take standardized tests. For a lot of colleges, you can still meet admissions deadlines if you take these tests in the fall, so this could be another go at the SAT, ACT, or both. Thinking about when you might take tests and registering is important before things get too lax over the summer, as is arranging summer prep and tutoring to set yourself up for success come test time.
Reflect: Before you start your senior year, it’s a good idea to reflect on the past year; have you struggled with a particular subject or noticed some work habits you’d like to improve? Self-assessment is necessary to ensure you excel in your senior year and the summer is a good time to hone needed skills and to bring in tutors and professionals and seek workshops and classes to help you get improve.
Fight ‘senioritis:’ It ain’t over ‘til it’s over: even though it might feel like you’re done at the close of junior year, the truth is you’ve still got to keep it together for another academic year. Colleges, even after accepting you, will be on mindful of your performance and be looking to see that you’re not slacking just because the end is in sight. Not to create undue fear, but colleges will retract acceptances if they see you “mailing it in” as a senior, so be sure to stay on task without slipping into the excitement of being a senior and losing focus.
Work on college stuff: This is a great time to work on college essays, academic resumes and the like. Before the academic rigors of senior year set in, you can focus on all the college requirements. Summer before senior year is a great time to hook up with a tutor to help you prepare your essay and to attend other college admission stuff. The last thing you want is to be so overwhelmed once school starts again that you have trouble doing all the necessary tasks for college.
Simplify: The junior year accumulation can lead to feelings of claustrophobia. Before your next year starts, get yourself organized; archive papers and stuff you need and toss the stuff you don’t. An uncluttered workspace is akin to an uncluttered mind, and simplifying the complexity of junior year can really help you feel fresh and ready for being a senior.
If you’re a junior, congratulations on completing this most hectic of years. You’ve encountered a lot and accomplished a ton, but just remember there’s one more year to go and it’s never too early to have an eye toward senior year. At iAchieve, we are here to help you get ready and to assist with any and all of your academic needs!
Written by Phil Lane
Interested in working with a private tutor? Contact us today to learn how our tutors can help you prepare for essential college tests such as the ACT or SAT.
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