The summer after your senior year of high school seems like one of the most pivotal points in your life. You will hear from a million different people that you have to do a million different things before you head off to college and that is overwhelming. You need to spend your time enjoying everything you can about your hometown and your family, but you also need to dedicate your time to preparing for your future.
We recommend finding a balance after high school between planning for your future, enjoying your present, and reminiscing on your past.
FOR YOUR FUTURE
Find a balance after high school by focusing on the most important things in each category: Future issues, present concerns, and reflection on the past. Here are some topics to focus on for your future as you find that balance:
Set Up Your Bank Account
We recommend setting this up before you leave for college to deposit funds from your summer job and begin establishing positive budgeting tactics. If you’re under 19, you will need to have your parents set up your account.
Shop For Dorm Decor
It’s best to wait until you arrive at your dorm to check out the space, but at least make sure to have the essentials (bedding, cleaning supplies, storage bins, etc.)
Communicate With Roommates
Don’t wait until the day you arrive, get to know your roommate ahead of time and reduce the awkwardness of that first night sharing a living space with a stranger.
Learn Basic Life Skills
Get your mom, dad, or older sibling to share some of their acquired life skills such as cooking, laundry, cleaning, etc.
Communicate With Your Admissions Counselor
Over the summer, if you haven’t already developed a professional and frequent repertoire with your counselor, establish a good basis of communication so you can be sure that you have all of your boxes checked before move-in day!
FOR YOUR PRESENT
Here are some topics to focus on for your present as you find that balance after high school:
Enjoy Time With Friends
Say yes to those beach days, say yes to those random drives blaring music, say yes to soaking up all the memories with your best friends. Those will be the moments you remember, not the time you spent binge-watching TV shows.
Spend Time With Your Family
Take in the moments of comfort and familiarity of life with your family. Don’t rush this summer away and don’t push your parents away. They may be more attentive than usual but that’s because they know how much they will miss you. And you may not realize it now, but you will miss them as well!
Take A Trip
Even if it is just an hour-long road trip to the neighboring city, get out of town!
FOR YOUR PAST
Here are some topics to reflect on from your past as you find that balance:
Write Thank You Notes
Take a moment to share with those people who have impacted your life. Share with them how much they have meant to you and the role they played in shaping you into who you are. Also, send thank you notes to anyone who blessed you with a graduation or going away gift!
Clean Out Your Closet
Get rid of that sweater you wore in 2016, you don’t need to bring that to college with you and take up space! Don’t leave it cluttering your parent’s house either. Go ahead and take it to a donation center or consignment shop and you never have to deal with it again.
Sort Through Mementos
There will be memories you want to keep with you forever and items you want to bring with you to remind you of those great times or accomplishments. Filter through your mementos and see what you want to keep forever and what you are okay with letting go of.
Make Your Decision Known
Let other colleges that you have been working with know you have enrolled in your chosen school and that you won’t be attending theirs so they can award your scholarship to someone else.
FOR YOUR FUTURE, PRESENT, AND PAST
Develop Good Communication
You can learn how to impress faculty and future employers by the way you communicate. You need to make sure your communication skills wow them- meaning you answer the phone when they call or return their call within a day of missing it and you respond within 1-2 days to their email communication. Make sure you are communicating in a way that shows you are competent and respectful and also shows how much you want it. Failure to respond when someone tries to reach you does little to exemplify your desire and dedication.
Exhibit Good Communication Skills:
- Timely response
- Asking questions
- Being respectful
- Sounding competent & displaying good grammar
