Seniors: you've reached your last semester, and college graduation is right around the corner. Congratulations! But remember, it's not over, so don't go picking out those graduation announcements just yet.
Avoid senioritis and make the most of your last semester of college.This doesn't mean you ought to hit the books all semester, although you don't want to forget that you're still a student and you're still receiving grades. Your last semester of college should be a time to savor the friendships and opportunities and fun in a way that's meaningful to you. A "meaningful" senior year can mean different things to different people; it can mean writing an honors thesis, participating heavily in an activity you've been involved in, or simply having a ton of fun.
Here are some New Year's Resolutions resolutions for students, and just for you, here are some New Year's Resolutions for college seniors. Pick and choose ones that are the most useful to you.
Make amends. Make peace with estranged friends and ex-boyfriends and girlfriends. In all likelihood, whatever drama caused your conflict will not seem all that important in time. What will feel important later on is that you've repaired a severed connection with someone you used to be close to.
Register for a class you've always wanted to take. You probably have some required classes left. But if you have a few electives, enjoy them. You're never going to have an opportunity to have such a selection of classes to take, so pick something really interesting and fun. As a graduating senior, it's a whole lot easier to actually get into the classes you want, so take advantage of this.
Resist extreme senioritis. You're probably burned out and feel like you have one foot out the door, and that's completely understandable and normal. But it's going to be a very stressful semester if you find yourself worrying about passing your classes or trashing your GPA. And don't miss out on your last opportunity to take college classes and get something valuable out of them.
Drink in moderation. You're a senior, so you know better than to binge drink your last semester away. Know your limit.
Plan a fabulous spring break. You don't have to do the cliche spring break with beaches and bikinis and beer. (Although if that's what you want, go for it!) You also don't have to plan something expensive. Find some fun way to spend meaningful time with your friends before you part ways. Doing something charitable for spring break can be very meaningful, like working for Habitat for Humanity.
Take some steps to figure out your life after college. Visit your career center. Take some career aptitude tests. Go on some interviews. Buy yourself a decent interview suit. And visit with financial aid office to find out everything you need to know about paying back those student loans. On the other hand,
Don't freak out about the future. Fun as senior year is, it's also scary because you don't know what comes next! Try not to let that get to you. Take some proactive steps for your future, but you don't have to figure out your whole future this semester. The real world is coming soon enough, so enjoy college while you can.
Thank your parents. Did your parents help pay for your college education, or help you in some other way. Thank them. Thank them often.
Thank your teachers. Go to the professors who made a difference in your life and let them know. They will appreciate this more than anything else you could do for them. Sending thank you cards is nice because they can be saved as mementos.
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Top ten signs that you have senioritis
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Student New Year's resolutions
Freshman New Year's resolutions
Teacher New Year's resolutions
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
