Hey guys! So my last official day of high school is approaching fast and I’d like to get a list out there of the dos and don’ts I’ve learned so far. I’ve organized my scrambled thoughts into a few categories; for your senior year, for the SATs, for college mail, for your paperwork, etc. I’ll definitely keep adding to and revising this list until it covers all you should know!

FOR SENIOR YEAR (AT SCHOOL):
Do:
•go to school events, you don’t need to go to everything but try everything you’re interested in at least once, you never know, you might just stick to it.
•challenge yourself, I mean, you’re going to attend college in a year, you have to be prepared! Take an AP if you haven’t considered doing so already or try dual enrollment! I highly encourage dual enrollment because I was able to meet more people, see what a college environment was actually like, and get high school credit at the same time! Let’s not forget about the access your college student ID grants you too, to places like the gym, library, discounts, etc.
•get enough sleep…I’ve probably slept 5-6 hours a night for the past two months…
Don’t:
•procrastinate too much. I definitely procrastinated and still do it A LOTTT A LOTTTT but I realize now that it’s a little problematic. I passed things in online on nights of the days they were due… Or even worse. And it just kills your time… oops

FOR THE SATS:
Do:
•Take it ASAP or if you still have time the end of this year, at least once junior year and once or twice your senior year!
•Try a college/SAT preparation program, even if you are already content with your score(s) because you’ll still be practicing and maybe even learn things you didn’t notice before!
Don’t:
•say “I’ll just show up and take the test” please please please prepare yourself, even one question a day could help!

FOR COLLEGE MAIL:
Do:
•Respond to “FREE T-Shirt” promotions by colleges in return for your basic information. I’ve gotten a few thanks to this and they’re so comfy to sleep or lounge around in. Did I mention they’re FREE?
•Try to open the brochures and letters you receive when you do because I once got this letter and ignored it until things piled up, I opened it and saw that if I was one of the first 200 students to complete a one/two-minute survey for them, I’d get $5.00 Amazon credit.
Don’t:
•sign up for too many emails/address-required college things, they WILL share your information and continue to spam until you go and contact them or click unsubscribe in your email settings

FOR YOUR PAPERWORK:
Do:
•organizer a binder consisting of: colleges you’re applying to and got accepted to, scholarships you’re applying to and received, financial aid information, your HS transcript, (unofficial) SAT/ACT scores, recommendation letters, and make a few copies of each document and put them into clear plastic slips so you can easily send them out to wherever you need to.
Don’t:
•lose or misplace important documents. This will definitely become a hassle and you’ll end up wasting too much time looking for things instead of getting them done.