How to Prepare for Senior Year as a Rising Senior

If you are like me, a junior in college ending their second-to-last spring semester and gearing up for finals week, then you have also been thinking about what comes after—senior year. As someone whose college experience has been a whirlwind, to say the least, I am truly shocked to be thinking about being a senior again four years later.

One of my favorite things about college is all of the prep/planning that goes into it! There is so much to prepare, from dorm planning to making your class schedule! 

So…as crazy as it sounds, let me show you how I am preparing for senior year to have the most successful year yet and how you can too!

#1: Classes & Academics

I’m sure we’ve all signed up for our fall classes and hopefully have our dream schedules. Now that that’s done, it’s time to make sure we ace our last fall semester. 

The 1st thing I like to do is to customize my canvas, this is something I learned this semester, and it has changed my life. Download the Canvas extension to your laptop, and you will have access to tons of super cool features! Through that, you can set a color palette for your canvas (mine is pink, of course) and even change the picture for your classes :)

Secondly, I make sure to add each of my classes to Google Drive with a specific folder for each to put all of the class materials and work I do into.

I also love listening to background music on YouTube when doing homework or studying, there are so many different compilations that are literally hours long. My fav are specific Disney movie ones and Barbie movie instrumental background music, I’ve saved so many for myself that I go back to them time and time again.

Lastly, one of my favorites is adding all dates, assignments, and creating a page for each class in my Notion. Notion is my version of Google apps, I use it exclusively for all of my calendar needs and so much more! But no matter what you use to stay organized and up to date, you will feel so much more prepared if you do.

#2: Dorm Room/Apartment

No matter where you’re living, senior year, it is never too early to plan out your space. I have done this every year of college so far, and it always has me feeling so excited for a new school year. 

If you’re extra like me, you probably already have a designated Pinterest board and a growing list *no joke* of all the decor for your room or apartment, but if not, you totally should!

Create a Pinterest board that captures the essence and style you’re going for with ideas of things you want to recreate in your space. I have gotten so many ideas and inspiration that I never would’ve thought of.

From here, you can start making your list and put down everything you know you want in your room. Especially the items you don’t currently own, so you know how much you need to budget!

Then you, research. Look around for the things you like on the web and find where to purchase them. Through your research, you will then be able to get a good idea of pricing to budget with!

Don’t forget to look cheaper! 

• Facebook Marketplace, Thrifting, Amazon, Five Below, Walmart, etc.

#3: Routines/Goals

This can look like many different things for different people, but the idea is to set yourself up for success. If there are new things you’ve been wanting to implement into your life or daily routine, now is the time to start!

I recommend taking a look at your schedule and trying to figure out where your free time is. From there, you can focus on adding the few new things you want to implement. Ex: gym/exercise, self-care, reading, cooking, joining a new club, etc.

Goals tie right into this, your goals can be directly incorporated into your routine to help you create your “dream” life and senior year!

Lastly #4: senior year checklist/trends

Something I have been looking forward to for senior year is all of the special things and moments that come with it. One of a kind memories that will be cherished forever! This calls for a bucket list/checklist of all of the things you want to accomplish or do by the time you graduate. Whether it be things with friends, yourself, or all of the above, having a list will help to keep you on track, but also serve as the best memento to look back on. 

Pinterest and TikTok will be your best friends for this, there are always so many fun and unique ideas to take from! 

Lastly, along with this, there are so many “senior trends” of things people have come up with on social media to do. Some of my favorites are senior boxes, pink-inspired senior picture ideas, making Build-A-Bears dressed in cap & gowns, etc. You never know what you can find!

Happy Senior Year!