As the school year comes to an end, the junior class has a lot to look forward to. As a senior, it is easy to get distracted or not want to do work, but senior year comes with some big responsibilities. For one, college applications are due, as well as scholarship applications, on top of regular school work. 

To the NA juniors, as senior year approaches, here is a list of ten tips I recommend for you all to follow. 

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Senioritis is real, but you have to try to fight it the best you can. Once they hit the third nine-weeks, many seniors run out of motivation. Procrastination sets in like never before, and the effort that was once there just is not any longer. But it is important to end the year respectably, so keep your grades up and complete the work — no matter how hard it might be.

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Start working on the common app in the summer. This was really beneficial to me because once school started I got busier with the school, work, and sports practices. It helped that I had most of my Common App completed and could focus on other responsibilities. 

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Submit your applications as early as you can. I feel that this year many seniors got waitlisted or rejected from schools they are good enough to go to because they waited too long to submit their applications. Now you know.

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Go to as many school functions as possible. Embrace these events because soon they will be over. The sports seasons go by faster than expected, so I advise you to try to go to as many games as possible, as well as the school dances, which are the last school dances with all your friends. Some of my best memories came from these school functions. 

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Cherish the small moments with friends. This is the last year of high school with all your friends, so do not take anything for granted. The year flies by. Graduation is just around the corner, and soon everyone will be at different stages of their lives, so cherish the moments with friends now. 

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Do not take all hard classes. Take some fun electives instead! Most of your applications will be submitted by the late fall, and it is important to still take classes that are challenging and look good, but do not be afraid to take some electives that are fun. It will make the school day more enjoyable and less stressful. 

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Try to not miss school during the first half of the year. Showing up only gets harder as the year goes on, so you do not want to waste all the days you can miss during the first half of senior year. 

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Finish your Common App essay in the summer. By doing this, your senior year will be less stressful and college applications will be a breeze. This way, it is easier to focus on school work and carve out time to attend school functions instead of staying home to work on essays.

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Take advantage of scholarship opportunities. Scholarships can be a pain to fill out and submit, but they are extremely beneficial financially. A lot of students do not fill out any scholarships or do not take advantage of all of them. It is extremely important and will help out in the future.

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Take advantage of LaRoche credits. Enroll in the LaRoche dual enrollment for classes that qualify for advanced credit. These classes count as college credits, meaning you do not have to take them in college. This is beneficial when scheduling classes for freshman year of college. 

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High school was the best and worst time of my life, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. So juniors, stay on top of things as best you can and, most importantly, do not take it for granted because before you know you will be walking out of NASH’s doors for the very last time a year from now!