10 Mistakes I Made Senior Year of High School

The senior year of high school is a busy time.  You have to apply for college, take standardized tests, keep up your grades, and get ready to move.  Then there are scholarship applications, chores, clubs/ sports, and about a thousand other things to do.

You are busy.  But you are also at the precipice of big change.  That change can be made easier by doing a few key things this year.

So to help you out, here are my biggest mistakes senior year of high school that made college more difficult.

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Misake 1: I didn’t embrace minimalism

Life has seasons.  There are times when maximalism makes more sense, and there are times when you want to own as little as possible.  You are entering the more minimalist times.

Here is the thing, over the next 4 years you will move more than you will likely ever move again (unless you join the military).  If you go to college and stay in the dorms you will move a minimum of four times a year every year.  If you don’t stay in the dorms, you are still likely to move quite a bit because of cheaper places being available or roommate trouble.  

“But I can just leave most of my stuff at home”

Yeah, I hear you.  And that is what I thought too.  Big mistake. 

Every person I know (including myself) who chose to leave the bulk of their stuff at home when they went to college are still cleaning out their old bedrooms at their parents house at the age of 30. And for some of us it’s really difficult because our parents have moved and now we are trying to find old things we don’t remember to properly discard them from the stockpile of unpacked boxes in the basement. 

Here is the hard truth: if it isn’t important enough to move with you now, it will never be important enough to the person you will become in the next few years to keep.

I recommend you pair down until all you have is: 

• One box/ plastic tub of things you want to keep for any future children in your life and memories.  These can be for your children of your own, (honorary) nieces or nephews, or godchildren.  Even if you don’t want kids, there will be children in your life you want to share your childhood with.  One box is enough.
• One box/ plastic tub of things that you definitely want to keep and use when you settle down, but are too expensive or delicate to come with you to college.  These things include heirlooms, and anything you bought that is particularly valuable but not useful in college. 
• A big suitcase, carry on suitcase, and backpack of stuff you are taking to college.  This is just for stuff like clothes, books, shoes, sheets and towels, notes, important papers, toiletries, and trinkets you want to bring.  It does not include any furniture or small appliances you wind up needing.  Try to leave some room in these suitcases for closet storage items or other trinkets you don’t know you need yet.

The truth is you really don’t need or want more than that.  Trust me when I say if you spend the year slowly cleaning out your stuff, college and life beyond will be much easier.

Need help getting started?  Check out the konmari method. 

Mistake 2: I bought stuff for my room before I went to College

Back to school time boasts a lot of sales.  A lot of sales.

You can get a cheap chair, and tons of storage totes!  You will be so organized and comfy for college!

Don’t fall for it. Don’t buy anything yet.

The truth is you don’t know what you need yet.  You have no idea what your room looks like or what you actually need.  Anything you buy before you settle in will probably not be used.  

Don’t buy anything until you have been in your new digs for 2 weeks.  In those two weeks, try to make everything work.  You will quickly notice any pain points and if they persist, then fix them.  

The only things you should consider buying before you get to your new place are bedding, towels, a universal cleaner, and a single vinyl shower curtain and rings (don’t take it out of the package).  The worst thing is going through a move, heading to the shower, and then finding there is no shower curtain so you can’t shower.  If you don’t use the shower curtain, keep it in an inner pocket in your suitcase.  You will use it eventually.

Mistake 3: I bought crappy luggage

I didn’t do my research and bought a bulk luggage set.  The large suitcase died after the first use, and the carryon died after the 4th use.

I did a lot of traveling in college, and a lot of moving.  You probably will too.  You need quality luggage to survive the 4 years of moves and travel.  Do some research and get something reliable.  It will cost a little more in the short term, but it will save you tons in the long term.

Mistake 4: I bought my backpack too early

I bought a backpack towards the end of my senior year of highschool with the intent of using it throughout college.  It was a nice bag.  Sturdy.  It should last 4 years of abuse.

Only I didn’t fully understand how big the campus was or what my schedule would realistically look like.  The bag was fine for highschool, but was definitely not built for running fully loaded between classes a mile apart with only a 10 minute break between them. 

In the end, to spare my back, I had to buy a hiking pack with an internal frame and waist support.  Because I bought my backpack in highschool, I put off buying a new pack and suffered with a backpack that didn’t work for two years.

I wish I had used my highschool backpack for a semester, and then done research on what the best backpack for my needs was.  Then I could have bought the right backpack the first time.

Mistake 5: I got too big of a laptop

You want to be able to take your computing device to class easily.  

I got a 17 inch laptop.  It was big, bulky, and difficult to carry.  I always regretted it when I needed to take it with me to class.  And as an engineering student, that was pretty often.

Really think about what your major needs you to do.  If you are only going to be writing papers, a small laptop or even a tablet with a study keyboard is going to serve you well.  But if you are doing something like digital art or engineering, still go for something small and then remember you can get a larger screen to plug into when you are home.

I would not even consider anything bigger than a 15 inch screen size.  Small and light is your friend here. 

Mistake 6: I leant too much on my parent’s structure

For your entire life, your parents have provided structure.  They have determined when you eat, given you a bedtime, reminded you to brush your teeth, and helped remind you to study.

But when you move out… all that goes away.

No one will tell you when to study or remind you to eat.  You need to start taking control over your own schedule.  

Take over some of the chores like cooking for a couple of nights a week and cleaning your room and laundry.  You make sure you are studying, don’t wait for your parents to remind you. 

As much as possible take control of your schedule.  It will be easier to figure out how to do that now with a support network instead of trying to figure out how to do it when you are on your own.

Mistake 7: I didn’t learn how to study

High school was easy.  Very easy.  Even the AP exams and AP courses were not too particularly difficult.

As a result, I didn’t actually learn how to study.  And that was a real problem my first year in college.

Your senior year, do yourself a favor and find something to study that is harder than you think you can handle.  Give yourself deadlines and have someone make (or find) an exam for you to take at the end.  Then use it to figure out how to study.  

Some guidelines for studying:

1. Always read the chapter before class.  Take notes on what you don’t understand and ask those questions in class.
2. Take class notes over your book notes.  That way you are only amending notes instead of writing everything the teacher says.  It will help you retain information.
3. Do problems when studying.  Make your own test questions and answer them.  Try to cover everything the teacher or professor might ask.
4. Study like you eat: multiple times a day in small amounts.
5. Never study one thing for more than 30 minutes at a time, and take frequent breaks.

Mistake 9: I didn’t find a good, well paying job and save up

When I went to college, getting an online job wasnt really a thing just yet.  But it is now.  

If I had to do it over again, I would get an online job as early in my high school career as possible, and then I would keep it for the duration of college.

There are a number of things you can do online that pay much more than minimum wage.  Doing the job online means you can always flex it around your schedule and you can work wherever you are.  

So if you are waiting for a class or for a study group but you don’t want to study, you can work.  Or, if your classes go all day, you can work at night until you get tired.

Yes, that sounds like a lot of work, but college is an insane amount of work.  Don’t expect to have much free time.  If you do, you are doing it wrong.

Finding that job early makes the transition easier and gives you enough time to build up whatever you have decided to do so it makes enough money to support your bills.

Mistake 10: I didn’t take scholarships seriously

If you win a scholarship, it will pay much better than most jobs.

Even a $100 scholarship would take 7 hours to earn at $15 per hour.  Set aside 3 or 4 hours per week and apply for every scholarship you possibly can.  Most people don’t apply for smaller scholarships and they are easier to win.

College is hard to pay for.  Every cent counts.  Do not discount any scholarship opportunity.

Bringing it all Together

Take this last year of high school to think about how your world will change in the next few years and start prepping for it.

Over the next few years you will go from being dependent on your parents and their schedule to relying on your own internal motivation.  Anything you can do now to make that transition easier will be much appreciated by your future self.

Is there anything you are particularly dreading over the next few years?  What about things you are excited about?  Let me know in the comments below!

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