Staying On Track Senior Year
Although your student may feel like it’s time to coast, it’s important to keep focus throughout this final year of high school.
Why It Matters
- Nothing’s final until it’s final.
Although many college acceptances and scholarships may conditionally be based on grades prior to 12th grade, a drop in performance and attendance can affect both. Colleges and programs can rescind acceptance due to changes in GPA, disciplinary or behavioral problems (including social media posts), or other issues. - The foundation matters.
Senior year classes and opportunities available in extracurricular activities combine to build a strong base for future years. Your student will probably face more difficult academic situations in the next few years, and it’s important to continue building perseverance while also increasing comprehension skills and overall knowledge, tenacity, and study skills now. - Good habits are important.
The next step for your student will most likely mean more independence and responsibility. Strong attendance habits now can make it easier for your student to show up for class when no one is checking.
What Your Student Can Do Now
- Show up and do the work.
It’s common to want to avoid a task that isn’t easy to accomplish or, alternatively, one that is too easy. Your student will need to overcome similar obstacles throughout life, so now is a great time to learn how to adapt. If your student isn’t engaged in classes, challenge them to think creatively on how to become more involved and find personal connections in classroom discussions, assignments and projects. - Set a good example.
Some students want to leave some sort of mark behind for younger students. If your student is interested in being a role model, they can consider how personal actions affect and are viewed by underclassmen. Senior year provides plenty of opportunities to lead by example and mentor younger students. - Expand involvement.
Explore extracurricular activities with a focus on leadership and community service. Your student should also consider opportunities to explore potential education and training options through activities that are closely related to possible careers.
What Your Student Can Do Later
- Manage time wisely.
As classes advance throughout senior year, your student may suddenly have larger workloads or more projects. In addition, a few years’ experience with activities, teams or organizations may result in increased duties and leadership opportunities. Exploring and applying for education or training programs and scholarships will also take a lot of time. Your student should take this opportunity to learn how to best manage multiple commitments in available time, a skill needed for future success. Planners and calendar systems that are specific to academics are effective in building time management skills. - Maintain balance.
The pressure to perform well academically and be accepted into top programs can be overwhelming for some students. It’s important for your student to remember to have fun and enjoy senior year as well. When planning a future career, your student should carefully consider what type of education or training is needed, affordable and attainable. Indecisiveness about the future can increase stress levels, and if your student feels the pressure is unmanageable, the school counselor can help or make recommendations.
What You Can Do
- Demonstrate your own motivations.
Talk about your own work ethic and how you stay motivated at your job or other commitments. Share different times and reasons you may not have been motivated or inspired. Explain how you interact with others in your workplace and how one person’s absence can affect a team, coworkers, and the bottom line for your employer. - Set expectations.
If attendance and work expectations haven’t been previously determined, now is the time to set them so your student develops responsibility and accountability. Attending school isn’t an option but a requirement; it’s better to set that standard before entering college where your student will have more freedom to decide exactly how time is spent. - Keep a realistic perspective.
If your student appears overly stressed about senior classes or roles, graduating, applying for college or training programs, or meeting your expectations, check your own perspective. It can be a balancing act to motivate your student to move forward while reducing pressure to be the best or do more. Remember that achieving admission to the Ivy League or earning a large national scholarship is not guaranteed for nearly any student; continue to help your student find a mix of easily, likely and maybe achievable opportunities to maximize future options.
Next Steps
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