The final weeks of this school year have winded down to a close, and like most people, it leaves me reminiscing about all of the good moments over the last 9 months. But also, it encourages me to think about what’s to come next year, which for me, will be my senior year. It feels weird even saying that out loud (or writing it down, I suppose), because I can still remember sharing my cramped triple in FT and commuting via bus to class. I remember my first apartment sophomore year, and the hassle of moving in and putting my bed together in mid-August with no air conditioning.
It feels like yesterday that I was sending my first day of junior year picture to my mom.
As daunting as senior year feels, I am so excited to make my final year my best one. And like many seniors do, I’m curating the perfect bucket list to ensure not a single moment can be missed. And if you need some inspiration for yours, you’ve come to the right place!
1. senior sunrise for fdoc
I know this is a pretty well known thing to do, but it truly feels like the best way to kick off this list, and your senior year. Watching the sun come up on the last “first day of school” is a bittersweet feeling that should be celebrated – it’s the first of your lasts, after all. Whether you choose to do it with friends or without, at your house or a lookout point, or with festive drinks or snacks or not, it’s a special way to mark the beginning of the most exciting year yet.
For extra fun, take pictures with a handmade sign that lets everyone know what that sunrise marks: “First Day of 16th Grade!”
2. Climb to the top of Storke Tower
If you’re like me, you’ve been looking up at the bell tower since your first day of freshman year, insisting that one day you’d make it to the top. You’d see the bell in person, and look out over this beautiful campus from the highest (and most iconic) vantage point.
Well, there’s no time like the present. Especially when your chances to do it are numbered.
It’s important to note that, generally, Stroke Tower is closed for safety reasons. However, there are often tours during Spring Quarter, which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Make sure to keep an eye out for sign-ups when the time comes around! There are also sometimes tour groups during UCSB’s Family Weekend in November, so invite your loved ones and take a trip!
3. Visit Your Old Freshman Dorm
While not everyone may have fond memories of their freshman dorm, I know I certainly do. Though I was cramped in a triple in FT, I look back on those days as a formative, defining period of my UCSB experience. Whether my roommates and I were attempting to do movie nights on our uncomfortable floors, playing board games way past quiet hours, getting ready for our first nights out, or commiserating about finals at our respective desks, I’ll always think back to those days with appreciation and nostalgia.
I think it’s only right to end senior year the way you started it: by roaming the halls of your dorm building. If you’re feeling up for it, you can even find your exact room and introduce yourself. The people who live there now are going through the same thing you did. Though their struggles and relationships may differ, you are bound by the knowledge that you both are making/made it through a year in a small but special home.
4. Karaoke Downtown
Once again, this isn’t the most creative choice, though I do think it’s a must. I just turned 21, and I’m incredibly excited to journey downtown for my senior year and explore the nightlife that I’ve heard so much about.
The beautiful thing about karaoke is that you don’t have to be good at singing. Honestly, in my opinion, it’s more fun if you’re not. You can schedule a certain day you and your friends are going to take on the challenge, or you can do it spontaneously. Sometimes, the night just feels right. However you decide, I encourage you to pick a song you know back to front, and one that makes you feel good—interpret that how you will.
Plus, everyone needs their go-to karaoke song. If you’re like me and don’t know what that is yet, there’s only one way to figure it out. So grab that microphone and start singing!
5. Complete the Loop
I only recently learned about what it meant to “complete the loop”, but it feels like the perfect tradition for a place like Isla Vista.
To do this, you must finish a pitcher or drink at every establishment that serves alcohol. I think most people specifically choose to drink beer, but as someone with celiac, I’ll be finding another beverage of choice (most likely cider). There’s no established order you have to go in, but the locations look to be as follows: IV Pizza Pub, Woodstocks, Dublin’s, Lao Wangs, and Sam’s-To-Go. I could be missing some, but my “research” has only found these locations on the list.
Take some friends, be safe and split the pitchers, and enjoy yourself. You’ll never live in a place like IV again.
6. Jump off the Goleta Pier
Though the pier is relatively close to campus, the only time I’ve been down that way is after my tour of the school during my junior year of high school. There’s a cute park and patches of greenery behind the shore, and it would be nice to make a day trip out of it. Though you could drive or walk there, it’s a deviation from Sands, Devs, or Campus Point, and of course, there’s the pier.
With a beautiful scenic location to look out across the shimmering water from or survey the coastline, it’s also the perfect place to take a leap… literally. I’ve always been one to search for a good way to get an adrenaline rush, and this is a great way to explore a spot near campus while also trying something new.
However, make sure this is done safely. Check the tides on the day of, ensure the spot you’re jumping from doesn’t have any rocks or old boards under it, and make sure you have the energy to swim back to shore after. Have friends go with you for support and safety reasons, and keep a lookout for any other possible dangers.
Other than that, get a running start and take a good video!
7. Walk to Downtown
I honestly never considered doing this until my friends posted about doing it near the end of last school year. It’s probably not something to do when you have loads of homework, and it’s most likely not going to be done on a whim, but the walk to downtown is about the length of a half marathon, and you get to celebrate with a really good meal after.
This is definitely something I would schedule and plan for, because not only is it a trek, but also a time commitment. Make sure you have snacks and plenty of water (I would also recommend making sure the weather will be good the day you do it). There’s tons of spots to hit once you make it there, but I would recommend Chad’s Cafe, Lilac Patisserie (great for gluten free!), The Window, Benchmark Eatery, Corazon Cocina, or Shoreline Cafe.
Make sure to turn that Strava on if you have it, and enjoy the journey.
8. Visit the MOXI
Growing up, I always loved science museums. There were a few near my hometown that my school would take us to field trips on, and I seriously could’ve spent all day there. Going back to places like that not only brings out my curiosity and inner child, but forces me to get off of my phone and experience something new.
With three floors filled with interactive experiences, MOXI (The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation) promotes the exploration of all things science, math, arts, technology, and engineering. Admission is open to all from 10am to 5pm, and tickets are $25 (they can be purchased online or in person).
There are exhibits for all interests, and their mission statement makes sure to encourage people of all ages to visit. So, the next time you’re feeling that life is getting repetitive or mundane, head downtown to MOXI!
9. Do a Land Shark With Friends
Once again, you’ve probably heard of this tradition for many seniors, but I will definitely be partaking. Land Sharks are 90-minute tours of the coastline, which begin on land and travel into the ocean off the harbor downtown. The tour departs from Stearn’s Wharf, drives around city landmarks, and eventually ends up in the water, where you might be able to spot sealife! You can join public tours or book private ones, which obviously affects price, but if you get a large group, I would certainly say it’s worth it.
The views are beautiful, the tours are interesting and scenic, and you get an hour and a half to take in the wonderful place we get to call home. If you’re feeling up for it, get your friends to agree on a theme for dress code (I say the weirder the better—my friends all dressed up as old people since they do it about a week before graduation), and soak in the sea air and the many people who will surely watch you drive (or cruise) by.
10. Eat at Your Favorite Dining Hall
Though everyone’s favorite dining hall differs, you’ll definitely find it to be an experience to choose to eat at the place you once had no choice but to eat at. If you’re me, you’ll take the trip over to Portola and reminisce on the many nights spent circling the place for a good spot.
My roommates and I ate dinner together basically every night, agreeing on a time for everyone so we could catch up about our days, upcoming exams, current drama, or plans for the weekend. My favorite part of the day was getting together and staying long after we were done eating because we were deep in conversation.
When everyone is coming to an end, I think it’ll be nice to head back to a place where my first memories of UCSB occurred. You might go to the one most familiar, the one you think had the best food, or maybe even the one you went to least (to experience something old and new at the same time).
I think going with freshmen roommates or friends makes it extra nostalgic, but no matter who you go with, I hope you take advantage of the all-you-can-eat rule and laugh with your friends long after you’ve finished your plate.
Senior year is the time to make the most of this place, and the people who have made it home. Don’t let it go to waste.