Senior year should not be defined as the list of courses that you are required to take. The many activities to celebrate the accomplishment of finishing high school are what really define your senior year. From senior sunrise, prom, graduation, senior pictures, senior clap-out to the countless hours spent with your family and childhood friends before heading off to your future endeavors, senior year is filled with celebration and joy. The hours around your actual classes are what you will remember in 10 years, not the government test you forgot to study for. Here is a list for incoming seniors that I wish I had known before starting the joyous journey of finishing my childhood.

• Begin visiting colleges as soon as possible.

Go on college visits during the end of your junior year and during the summer because applications for college admission begin to open as early as July. You want to apply as early as possible to get the best chance of admission into the college of your choice, so try to narrow down your options to about 3 schools by the end of junior year. Remember, just because a college accepts your application does not mean you are automatically going there. You have to accept their offer to officially be considered an incoming freshman at that college.

• Take the SAT and ACT in the middle of your junior year, and again at the beginning of summer for your final score.

You need your scores for the application process of being admitted. Taking the tests during your junior year will give you a good understanding of how they work and what you need to work on (as provided by collegeboard.org). The scores take a few months to be calculated and available to you, so be sure to get it done a couple of months before you wish to apply to your desired school(s).

• Apply for a job during the fall season.

Many businesses have what they call their “busy season.” This is when they will have an abnormally large amount of customers coming in during a certain time of the year which means they will need to hire more employees known as “seasonals.” For most businesses, this time is during the holidays (around Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). When hired as a seasonal, at the end of the season (if you have performed well enough), there is a high chance they will offer you a permanent position.

• Save up as much money as possible for second semester

The second semester of your senior year comes with many expenses that can be difficult for just your parents to pay. For a typical senior girl, prom calls for a dress, your hair done, makeup done, shoes, jewelry, and tickets. For graduation, you will need your cap and gown, hair and makeup done, shoes, and jewelry. For senior pictures, the photographer will cost a lot of money, you will need many outfits, hair and makeup done, jewelry, and shoes.

• Apply to your top 3  colleges as soon as admissions open.

You may change your mind or not be quite sure where you want to go during your senior year. Applying to multiple schools allows you that opportunity to revise a quick, poor decision if you do choose to attend a school that you don’t necessarily want to go to. Keep your options available for revision.

Most importantly, be sure to actually enjoy your senior year. Get your school work done, but focus on spending time with your friends and family in your last year of being a child.