The senior year to-do list

It is hard to believe that in one week I will be a senior in high school. It has been 12 years since I entered kindergarten, and now my last year of secondary education is upon me. I have always been one for bucket lists, and so here is my “Senior Year To-Do List”:

AUGUST

Senior pictures:  A rite of passage into senior year is the senior portrait. A photo that will be captured in the year book for posterity. Don’t stress too much about this. Teens (especially females) are put under so much pressure to appear a certain way, but instead of straightening your curly hair to fit in, wear your hair how YOU want, and wear what YOU want. You want to wear bright pink lipstick? Go for it. But remember, this is the photo your parents will frame and send in your grad announcement to all of your aunties and cousins.

Senior quote:  At my high school we have a tradition of senior quotes which go into the yearbook for posterity. So it is important to pick just the right quote which will represent all four years of our high school experience

SEPTEMBER

Last first day of school: What to wear: The first day of Kindergarten I remember picking out my “big girl” outfit. It was a mint green dress with ruffled socks, and light up shoes. I had my hair in two ponytails with flower clips on each. This year I have already selected my outfit with the same precision. I bought a white dress from LF, I’ll be wearing ruffled socks and, yes, my light up tennis shoes from Dolls Kill. Instead of a hello kitty lunch box, I will carry a back pack heavy enough to break my back!

OCTOBER

Homecoming/Coronation Week: The Homecoming game and the corollary Coronation Dance in the fall are one of the most exciting of the school year festivities. We have class competitions that entire week which we call Spirit Week, where the whole school dresses up every day, and at the end of the week, the grade with the most spirit is calculated and announced. We are seniors, so let’s win!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Apply to college:  This quest has already begun. The Common Application this year came out early so I am diligently working my way through 11 applications and deciding where to apply early. The trick here is to start early so that you don’t have last-minute stress. So, if you’re reading this now, GO WRITE YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT!

APRIL

Committing to a college: Spring brings with it college acceptance and denial letters. The joy and the pain.  My wish is that my classmates and I all remember that we will end up in the right place for us. It is important that we support each other through the elation and the disappointments. Thereafter, it is time to commit, and time we all get to show up wearing a sweatshirt carrying the name of the school that we have committed to!

MAY

Prom: Who will ask me, who do I want to ask me? And, then the wait for “The Promposal.” It is always so fun to watch the promposals around school, some are so creative. But, don’t feel like you can’t go to prom simply because you don’t have a date. Limo or party bus? Where to take pictures? A pre-party with all of our friends. And, where will the after party be? Oh yes, and of course there is the actual prom.

4.0 Brunch:  At my high school we have a senior brunch for those students that earned a 4.0 or over during their time during high school. Parents are invited and the students are honored for their academic achievements.

JUNE (So much to do)

Senior Picnic: During the final week of school we have a senior picnic at the beach. A fun day to hang with friends and reflect on the past four years.

Senior Awards and Scholarships Night: This is the night where students receive scholarships from local businesses and national entities. Athlete of the Year (male and female) is announced, and student achievements are highlighted.

Yearbook signing and senior bests:  Our last year book ever. I anxiously turn to the pages of senior bests- who won best smile, who won most likely to succeed, cutest couple? Then I must get everyone to sign it.

Last day of school: Bittersweet. The last day. Ever. I am not sure if I will cry tears of joy or sadness. Probably both.

Senior trip:  Cabo. Acapulco. Somewhere on the beach with (virgin) piña coladas. Bikinis. Sunscreen. Up all night. The last moments with this group know as the class of 2017. As we fly home and depart the aircraft back in Los Angeles, it suddenly dawns upon us that we are no longer high school students. We are adults, future doctors, lawyers, writers, computer programmers. The future leaders of our nation, the protectors of the earth, we are the future, we are the class of 2017.

Cece Jane is a rising senior at El Segundo High School, in Los Angeles, Calif.  She is a journalist and a singer-songwriter who will graduate high school in June 2017.

For more on the author go to CeceJane.com.