Sometimes for seniors, less is more

My senior year of high school is over, and I'm ready to spread my wings.

Looking back, there are a few things I wish I had done differently and things I want to encourage others to do. I'm speaking mainly to current juniors and sophomores.

First, don't overload your plate.

When the year started, I was taking two Advanced Placement classes and had an extra period at the end of the day. I was on the yearbook as the editor of the People section; that's 54 pages I had to manage all at once and mostly by myself.

I was also trying to get a school newspaper started. I had a job working about 15 hours a week, plus monthly Unleashed meetings and writing for the weekly teen section of the Yakima Herald-Republic.

I was president of the speech and debate team, so I was writing speeches, trying to run meetings and raising money. I was in the International Club, Environmental Club, working on getting my driver's license, applying for college and scholarships, and still trying to balance seeing my family and having a boyfriend.

Somewhere in there, I had to find time to do two hours of community service for National Honor Society. And somehow, I had to manage to sleep.

The sheer amount of work and my busy schedule finally got to be too much. I was doing everything, but not doing anything to the best of my ability. When I finally dropped some things, I could breathe. I was better able to commit quality amounts of time to each undertaking, and ended up doing much better at each endeavor. Less really is more.

Next, take advantage of every opportunity.

Don't just let life fly past as you drown in homework. Go to shows when they come to town, go to plays at Yakima Valley Community College, see movies, feed the ducks, take a class you didn't think you'd ever take. You never know, you might discover a hidden talent or see something that will change your life. No matter what, you'll learn something about yourself.

Then, apply for absolutely everything. Apply for scholarships even if you don't think you'll get them. Apply for schools you only have a small chance of getting into. Apply for jobs, camps, workshops, volunteer opportunities, anything and everything. But, don't apply at the last minute. Apply early. Don't be afraid to try new things.

And don't under-load yourself. Don't assume your senior year should be easy. It shouldn't. Balance your hard and easy classes and DO SOMETHING. Don't only go to school and hang out with friends.

Balance school and extracurricular activities with friends and family. If you neglect the people around you, they might not be there when you finally do have time. If you look ahead and catch yourself, you might be able to save a friendship.

Write prioritized to-do lists. Write out what needs to be done the quickest and decide what can wait. And make an effort to make time for yourself.

Once a week, sit and read a good book or go for a walk. Do something to help you re-focus and de-stress. Have fun. Don't work your entire year away, but don't quit before it's time.

Senioritis happens to everyone, but don't let it take over. And whatever you do, don't give up. If you can't survive high school, you won't survive in the real world. It's worth it in the end, even if it's not easy. Good luck.

* Alex Bacon attends Eisenhower High School.

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