Graduation is just around the corner. So many exciting things are happening like prom, graduation, graduation parties, and the overall excitement of it being our last year of high school. But unfortunately, this is the last quarter of high school and there is a checklist that needs to be completed by the end of the quarter.
Check up on grades and keep up with assignments. It’s time to kick senioritis out and work hard for the last couple of months of school. Also, keep up with the Class of 2024 in Google Classroom and check for any updates or anything you might need to get done.
Seniors should be applying for colleges if they haven’t already, you might want to think about what you want your future to look like after high school.
Include the number one choice college that you are confident in, one that you’re sure will accept you, and one that you don’t think you’ll get into but want to make sure that you at least get accepted into one.
Something very important to also remember is to ask for help! Hillary Palmgren, the B-wing counselor at Verrado, says “The ability to ask for help will make a difference, whether it’s for college, dorm decorating, or simple questions.” for college, she recommends subreddits that have information about professors, clubs, sports, and information schools you are interested in.
Checking the senior class of 2024 is very important. It has everything you need to know about senior deadlines, information, and newsletters.
If college is not a part of your future and you are looking into trade schools or joining the military, there are places such as WestMec, as well as military recruitment at our school to answer all your questions. They are at both A and B lunch during that time you can talk to them regarding the military application process.
If you’re not interested in trade school or the military, there’s also the option of community college. Community college is much different from a normal college, the classes are smaller, the cost of tuition is less, the schedule is more flexible, and it’s much more affordable.
Another choice after high school is to join the workforce. Look up the requirements and/or training for the job you’re interested in. Update your resume, get references, find open job opportunities, and apply. There are many pros to joining the workforce like no student debt, immediate income, learning, and job experience.
Apply for scholarships to help with all of the payments that come along with college. When applying for scholarships, schools you applied to may have an application you can fill out to see what scholarships you match with. It is based on GPA, interest, where you live, hobbies, and more.
Scholarships are important for so many reasons as they get you a chance at a higher education, a decrease in student debt, open more job opportunities, make your resume look good and so many more good things.
After applying for colleges, you will apply for FAFSA. FAFSA is a financial aid application that will help pay for college. Once you complete your application you will have to wait for decisions.
FAFSA isn’t just for a major college. It can be for community college, trade, and some cosmetology.
All seniors must finish their Major clarity, which includes your resume, personality assessment, career paths, and occupations. The percentage on your Major Clarity account does not matter as long as you have completed all four of the required tasks on Major Clarity. To access Major Clarity you must log into Clever and then log in to your Major Clarity account.
Another important thing is making sure you are completing Edgenuity courses. Without completing them by May 1st, you might be unable to graduate, as you will be missing credits. Talk to your counselor or rise lab teacher if you have any questions or concerns about your Edgenuity courses or finishing them all by the deadline.
Our school is holding Grad speech auditions. If you are interested in speaking at our graduation on May 18, 2024, then you will need to audition. They are holding auditions on the week of April 8th, signups will begin April 1st. There are three speeches you can audition for that include a welcome, keynote, and closing speech.
Even if you’re not sure what you would like to do after graduation it is always good to look into possible options for you whether it’s college, the military, or even trade school. There are countless opportunities for everyone out there. You need to look into the future and think about where you see yourself in the upcoming years, and what will make you a better person.
Some dates to know: senior finals are May 13-14, the senior honors night is May 14th (fill out the Google form on Google Classroom, senior checkout, and the senior parade is May 15th, and graduation practice+bbq and senior sunset are both May 16th and graduation May 18th at 2 pm, but all seniors need to be there at 1 pm (check the Google Classroom for information about graduation dress code).
All of these things are important to be able to have a successful future and career after high school, but we also need to focus on our grades, keeping up with our classes, and making sure senioritis does not get the best of us.
