Senior year is, without a doubt, the most surreal year of high school. If you’re a junior reading this, you’ve already completed the most conventional part of your high school experience. Your final year will feel like a limbo, caught between the home you’ve cherished for years and a future waiting to claim you. You’ll already have one foot out the door by September and you’ll be wishing you had more time by May. So here are some tips to ensure you soak up every last minute of your Parker career.
Senior year begins the moment junior year ends. Take the time you need to breathe after finals, but the more college preparation you can knock out over the summer, the better (your future, first-semester self will thank you). Honestly, I have no doubt that many of you could start your college applications in September and crank out decent essays by November 1. But the summer allows you time to explore. Rather than forcing yourself to settle on a half-baked idea, you can use the summer to brainstorm, try out wild ideas, and authentically discover what you can write compellingly about. Jot down lists of your passions, your communities, your heroes, your quirks. If you think an idea could turn into an essay, write about anything — and truly anything, even if only tangentially related — that comes to mind for twenty to thirty minutes. You might realize that you don’t have all that much to say. Over the summer that’s perfectly fine. As long as you give yourself the chance to experiment with whatever piques your interests, your strongest ideas will surface. Your summer should feel like a flexible, low-stakes time where you can explore whatever comes to mind — but you still have to put in the work.
First semester will be a flurry of juggling two worlds at once: your schoolwork and your college applications. Everyone makes the fall months seem like some Herculean task — the most difficult stretch of high school — but this isn’t necessarily so. First semester is tough, and you have to make sacrifices, but as long as you’re working diligently within your means, you should have nothing to fear. Parker will give you plenty of time and resources to support you along your journey, whether through frequent one-on-one meetings with your fantastic college counselor or an entire day dedicated to essay writing and support. The moment you stop using the given resources and time is the moment you’re in trouble. But if you make use of all the resources available — whether that means scheduling an extra counselor meeting or staying up thirty minutes at night to scribble an idea onto paper — you’ll be well ahead of the curve and ready for any deadline that comes your way. Just don’t procrastinate — you have time, so use it.
Second semester, as you might imagine, is a completely different scene, full of pranks and ditch days and late nights and later starts. However, still be diligent. While I truly believe that first semester wasn’t nearly as grueling as people made it out to be, second semester isn’t as carefree as you might expect. The rigor of your classes won’t waver and will be independent of your attendance. Don’t expect your teachers to go easy on you just because the stakes of your grades are lower. May Term will be just around the corner, but until then, stay in school.
Now that all the academic advice is out of the way, I can finally tell you that even with the workload, anxiety, and anticipation, senior year is by far the most rewarding and exhilarating year of high school and your entire academic career. And that goes for first semester too. From Big Siblings to 12 Days, Senior Sunrise to Senior Assassin, you’ll join in the whirlwind of traditions that make senior year unforgettable. Meanwhile, take time to reflect on the traditions that have lasted your entire Parker career. As you sit on stage for your last Corinthians MX, think about where you were at the beginning of ninth grade, or fourth grade, or even kindergarten. During your final County Fair, wander the booths of those younger than you. Notice what’s changed and what’s remained over your years. Talk with your former teachers who paved the way for your growth — whether you pop into their classrooms or strike a conversation in the halls, they’ll always appreciate reconnecting, no matter how many years it’s been since you were in their class.
Most of all, this will be your final year at Parker — and for many of you, Chicago — so take advantage of everything you have yet to do, inside and outside these walls. Try out new restaurants in Lincoln Park during lunch, travel to museums you’ve never explored. Even chatting with someone you’ve never spoken to can be unexpectedly gratifying. Make a list of things you want to do before you leave and then actually do them. It’s never too late to join a new club — or start one — and now is the time to do those things because you want to, not to check off a box or pad a résumé. You may have activities you’d like to continue through college as well as high school friends with whom you wish to stay in touch. While those activities and friendships are valuable, make sure you’re connecting with everyone and everything around you while you still can.
I leave you with this. On the first day of school, Mr. Bruno will likely deliver a speech to you and your classmates about what to expect during senior year. Within his idiosyncratically moving words will lie a solemn message: “Senior year will fly by. Before you know it, we’ll be back here on these cat boxes, preparing for commencement and the end of the year.” If you stick to your routines and let senior year pass you by, then your final time at Parker will feel short. Much too short. But if you take advantage of every new opportunity that comes your way — signing up for choir field trips that are three-hour bus rides away, making the most of Chicago winters by going pond skating with your friends (check to make sure it’s allowed first), or staying back at school an extra fifteen minutes to debate the most ridiculous would-you-rathers — then senior year will feel incredibly long. For me, the end of junior year feels like an eternity ago. But that’s the way it should be. The last thing I would wish is that you leave Parker feeling like you didn’t have enough time for anything you wished to do. Use your time wisely, but more importantly, use every bit of time you can get. Fear little, regret less, and you’ll leave Parker with the deepest connections, richest lessons, and sweetest memories to cherish for the rest of your life.
I would wish you the best, but the best is inevitably yet to come. Enjoy the most fabulous year at Parker,
Zarin