As the first six weeks comes to a close, seniors start to get a feel of what the year is going to be like. But there are some responsibilities and processes that we must take on that we didn’t anticipate. In order to make this year as great as we expected, here are a few of the key things we should focus on during our last year as Mavericks.

Have a plan.

Whether you’re going to college, joining the military or travelling around the world, it is important to know where you are going after high school and how to get there. Talking to your parents about financial aid, knowing the deadlines of applications and what test scores or GPA you need to execute your plan are all necessary things to get done early on. If you want to retake the SAT, the last test scores that colleges will accept are the scores from the Nov. 8 SAT. If you are applying to college, check if you must use Apply Texas (used at most Texas universities), the Common Application, or a custom application.

Get ahead on college applications and scholarship opportunities.

College applications are due for most colleges on Dec. 1. Depending on the university, applications could require only standard personal informational, or they could also require multiple essays and elaborate resumes. For us, it is time to start reading those emails from colleges that we have been deleting for months, because many of them offer information about applications, scholarships and majors. Many of these emails may also be offers of scholarships, waived application fees or even a pass on writing application essays. Even if these offers come from colleges we have never heard of, it is beneficial to know all of our options as we leave home and enter the world.

Keep up with your schoolwork.

Although it is important to focus on the future, we aren’t out of high school yet. As we go through the stressful process of preparing for our future we must still be successful where we are right now. Balancing schoolwork and college applications isn’t easy, but it is necessary to use good time management to make the job as smooth and easy as it can be. Spend a certain amount of time each day on preparing for the future or set aside one day of the week when you can take a break from high school responsibilities and focus on your future. However you plan to get everything done, make sure to stay on top of all of your responsibilities and make the year as smooth as possible.

Have fun.

With all of the stress of keeping up with college applications and schoolwork, it is important to enjoy senior year. Every day we spend at McNeil is one day closer to our last, and having good memories to look back on will make graduation an even better experience. Senior year is the time to celebrate everything we have achieved up to this point in our lives before we start a new chapter of new friendships, goals and experiences, so try not to let the stress of all of your responsibilities stop you from enjoying yourself.