It’s finally graduation season! While this time of year can be particularly emotional with leaving friends, relocating for college, and starting our new lives after high school, in the midst of all of the tears and farewells, I’d like to offer some words of encouragement (and caution) to the underclassmen who will (sooner rather than later) be graduating. Therefore, here are some nuggets of advice that I would’ve loved to have known before senior year.

1. Talk to Everyone

Yes, the rumors are true—no one really cares senior year. What I mean by “no one cares” is that there aren’t as many imaginary boundaries when it comes to who you talk to. For me personally, I always felt throughout high school that people often stuck to one “clique” and didn’t stray from the same circle of people. However, in senior year it really feels like most people let down their walls and become open to forming new relationships (with the bittersweet notion that you’ll never go to school with the same people again.) So, be open to talking to everyone, because maybe the person sitting behind you in math class could become your best friend.

2. Stop Complaining and Savor the Moment

While this may sound harsh at first, it’s the truth, people. While school from January to March feels like it's in an endless loop, it’s still important to remember that this is your last year of high school ever. So instead of complaining about what feels like endless school work, put your effort into the things about high school that you genuinely enjoy doing (and try not to fall too behind on assignments). Whether those things be clubs, sports, volunteering, etc., savor the last chances you’ll get to be in these programs instead of complaining about an assignment you’ll forget about in the next month.

3. Apply for Scholarships ASAP

I really wish I would have followed this advice sooner (college is expensive, bro!) but don’t wait until the second semester of senior year to start applying for scholarships. Despite the fact that many scholarships open up for applications during the second semester, there are tons of scholarships online that you can start applying for right now. To save money, energy, and time, start applying for scholarships as soon as you can, because college is endlessly expensive.

4. Don’t Apply to Every College

This tip may seem discouraging and against the “follow your dreams” narrative that is endlessly regurgitated, but hear me out. Don’t apply to just any college because you think they have a good reputation or they’re a hard school to get into. Instead of just applying to any college where you’d like to go, research what college or universities have good programs for your major. This is also a good way to narrow down your costs when it comes to college applications (because once again, college is expensive).

5.Check Your Email!

This tip might seem a bit random, but I cannot stress to you enough how many times I looked through my email and missed an opportunity that could have benefitted me. In the endless sea of emails from schools that you’ve never heard of begging for your application, there are most definitely emails that can waive an application fee, give you an opportunity to apply for a scholarship, or offer hints as to what your dream school is looking for in their application. By checking my email, I applied to several schools without charge (I saved about 60 bucks a pop).

And if you’re feeling nervous about senior year and your future in any way, just know about any rejection or failure you go through, rejection is just redirection. Okay, bye everyone. Kayla is signing off!