The months and weeks before graduation can be the most stressful for high school seniors. It can be difficult to schedule out a proper timeline for graduation and to figure out the right plan for the most efficiency.
Raegan Allen, a 2019 Nixa graduate knows how to prepare for both graduation and college.
Asking your teachers their opinions and advice can also help ease any concerns.
“I found that with the teachers who have similar interests, they have similar mindsets going to it, and hearing their mistakes and how they learned from that encouraged me to not make the same mistakes,” Allen said.
Although high school can be difficult, it’s important to take the time to cherish the events.
“You don’t realize how simple your life is right now, until you lose what you took for granted,” Allen said. “I know its hard with senioritis, but try to cherish the little annoyances, those will be the things that you’ll miss the most.”
It is also important to cherish the time with high school friends while you have it.
“I wish I would’ve taken little photos or videos with my friends, so I would look back on them on a hard day and cherish them,” Allen said. “Something so simple can make you miss them even more, and those are so nice to have.”
There is a basic checklist made by campusexplorer.com that helps the upcoming graduates be prepared for May 10.
First of all, it is important to take any tests or projects that will help and complete your academic career, such as late work or required finals.
Check your transcript and with the counselors or with the college advisor to make sure that all requirements were met, so no surprises arise too late.
If any fines are still in place, check on PowerSchool or with the front office to see to them being paid. It is possible that with these fines, people will not be allowed to walk at graduation.
Stay focused during the last few months. Senioritis may hit hard, but the grades stick on your transcript and can affect college acceptances even weeks before graduation.
Get senior pictures done before it is too late. You may want to remember this year in the future.
If you are having a graduation party, mail out all graduation announcements to family and friends. This should be done three weeks before the event.
For the graduation party, be sure to remind those invited about the date and the time.
Proper attire is required for walking, so order a cap and gown.
Some students decide to hand out gifts to teachers or peers during the last week, so hand those out if wanted.
The day before graduation, make sure that your cap and gown are steamed and ready to be worn.
On graduation day, take pictures with the friends. Most, but not everyone, seem to drift apart after graduation, so you’ll want the memories in the future.
After May 10, you’ve graduated. The four years leading up to that date were most likely difficult, but you finally made it.
If college is in your future, there can be a lot to do when dealing with financial aid and applications. This simple checklist can help with the preparation for this semester.
Before beginning with the preparation, be sure that early decision letters have arrived, and that any other applications have been withdrawn. Additionally, begin thinking about work experience and opportunities that need to be done during the summer before college.
In early January, be sure that a financial aid application was sent to FAFSA quickly, research and compare other financial aid options if needed. Be sure that the financial aid office at the colleges has gotten all the correct information.
When picking a college, be sure to visit the campus and preview the buildings and the environment that is to be expected for the next four years.
By this time, all scholarship
applications should be sent in, as colleges usually send back letters and respond to applicants by April 15.
Additionally on April 15, colleges begin sending acceptance letters and financial aid offers, so stay on the lookout for those papers.
In May, all individuals enrolled in an Advanced Placement class should be taking the exam to place out of classes in college. Once these scores have been returned, send them to college before the deadline.
Final decisions for college are due on May 1. Notify the college of the decision by then and mail a commitment deposit check.
By June, send all final transcripts to the school you will be attending. Ask the college when certain fees are due and the cost of each of them.