Prioritizing as a Senior
Let's clarify one thing: SENIOR YEAR IS NOT A BREEZE!
As a senior, you will be managing several responsibilities at once. You will have to be prepared to manage your senior workload, SATs, senior capstone, senior activities, letters of recommendation, college or other post-secondary education, and the stress of your future. Here, we will give you our best advice when it comes to dealing with it all.
Senior Workload
The key to surviving your senior year is prioritizing, do the most important work first. If you find yourself drowning in work, just think what assignment is the most has to get done first. When doing this think about:
- The due date of the assignment
- If it an assignment given to you ahead of time plan accordingly and give yourself mini due dates to complete parts of the project
- Give yourself the deadline and STICK TO THEM. Treat them as if they are assignments on canvas.
- The impact the assignment will have on your grade
- If you are at the point of the year where you are simply over it decide what work is the most important to you passing the class.
- *TIP: Do the damn thing the first 3 quarters so you can relax a bit during the 4th
- The leniency of the teacher
- Think about who the work is for: Are they strict?
- Do the strict teachers work first. This way you will have put your best into those who grade the hardest.
- This doesn't mean bs the other classes just work smarter not harder
SATs & ACTs
The SATs and Acts are important when it comes to applying to college, but remember that is not what colleges solely base their decision on. So, do not let your score define you. The SAT and ACT are both used for granting admission to colleges and awarding merit-based scholarships. Both testing types generally cover the same topics but, each test has its unique qualities.
SATTest Structure:
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ACTTest Structure:
Length:
Reading:
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Testing Tips & Tricks
- Start taking these tests as early as you can so, you can have as many opportunities to retake as possible
- Decide what test is best for you
- Take both of them if you are able to
- Practice using a test manual
- Test prep manuals are structured like the real thing. It also contains practice test that you can self score to track your progress
- While you practice the test, record what topics you are struggling with then go to khanacademy and practice those topics
- PAY ATTENTION TO THE TIME
- As you take the test take note of much time you have left and set goals to pace yourself
- DONT DWELL ON ONE QUESTION
- If you cant immediately answer it, move on to what you can then go back
- ANSWER EVERYTHING
- Even if you aren't sure, guess
- Wrong answers aren't counted against you
Senior Capstone
As soon as you come back from your summer break, they will start talking about your senior project. This will be very annoying if you haven't thought about it at all so, it is best if you think about it before hand. During you summer of your junior year, you will not have to complete any summer homework. This is because you are expected to be working on your capstone. We didn't even think about a capstone during our summer break which kind of set us back when we came back because we didn't know what to do for most of the year. SO, we advise that you leave your junior year with a few ideas, flesh them out during your summer, and enter your senior year with a clear idea of what you want to do so, you can get started.