Start Your Senior Year Off Right with These Helpful Tips

By Amelia Woolard

If our calculations are correct, you’ve got about 281 days until college graduation… but hey, who’s counting?

When you’re starting your senior year of college, it can feel as though you’ve got an entire sea of time separating you from that very faint island in the distance—your graduation day. And with the endless number of papers to write, parties to crash, and recommendation letters to solicit—not to mention figuring out the whole life purpose thing—it can get a little overwhelming to say the least. But, if you weren’t having an existential crisis by this point, we would have to wonder if you’re truly normal.

While we won’t deny that your senior year is sure to include all of the above, we’d also like to remind you that anything can be done with proper planning and thorough execution including graduating from college and beginning a successful career. That’s why your friends here at uCribs have devised a handy list for all incoming college seniors to ensure that you’re on track to graduate and successfully transition into adulthood. Read on to learn how to jumpstart your senior year and set yourself up for success!

Know your degree requirements and make sure you’re on track to fulfill them.

When it comes to getting academic affairs in order, there’s no such thing as planning too far ahead. Trust us, college graduation will sneak up on you, and it’s far better to be ahead of the game than freaking out at the last minute. This especially applies if you’ve changed majors, universities, or have experienced any additional difficulties with meeting all of your requirements.

The first step is to enroll in all the classes you need in order to graduate. This step holds horror movie potential since there are instances of students putting off advising, enrollment, or fee bill payment, then failing to take a class they need to graduate on time. Don’t be that guy or girl kicking themselves for attending summer school while everyone else kicks it beachside!

If you’re not sure that you have all of your credits in check, dedicate some time to reviewing your major’s requirements. Break out the ol’, reliable college handbook and schedule a time to speak to an advisor or department head, who can help you get your ducks in a row and possibly wrangle any that have gone rogue. Sometimes, an advisor can help place you in a class with very limited space or accept another class in place of your required course—but it all starts with consistent communication with your department.

Consider your next steps after college.

For better or for worse, the end is nigh. “So, have you thought about what you’re doing after you graduate?” Ah, the dreaded question. But we get it – you’re probably both excited and hesitant to consider your life plans post-college since it signals such a huge life change. But it’s definitely worth considering your next steps well ahead of graduation day.

If you’re planning on entering the workforce immediately after graduation, pay a visit to your campus’ career center and see what you can find out about job openings in your field. Will there be jobs available in your current area once you graduate, or will you need to relocate for better opportunities? Should you pursue a graduate degree in order to become a more desirable candidate, or simply adjust your salary expectations for the time being? These are all excellent questions to have answers to before you get sized for that grad gown.

Speaking of graduate degrees, they pose a very valuable option if you think you’d like to continue your studies for a bit longer. A graduate degree can certainly give you a leg up in the job market, which tends to be competitive no matter what field you’re going into. Plus, those still in “student mode” may find it a non-issue to head straight into their post-graduate work. If you do decide to pursue graduate school, be sure to fulfill the needed paperwork for your program of choice and adhere to all submittal deadlines. You also have to keep in mind that some programs require GRE, GMAT, or LSAT scores for consideration as well.

Yet another post-grad option is to take a gap year. For some students, a gap year provides a necessary break in a continuous stream of education, especially if you’re planning to pursue a graduate degree. If you think that a gap year is the best option for you, be sure to consider exactly how you’ll go about spending your gap year. Are you going to work independently from home? Are you going to take an internship in another city? Are you hoping to travel and seek out new cultural experiences? No matter which direction you’d like to take your gap year, there are a million different ways to spend it, so you’ll want to try to nail down a goal before packing up your dorm room one last time.

Check in on the status of your student loans.

Now, it’s time to discuss one of the less fun aspects of college graduation: student loan payments. While ignorance is bliss when it comes to these costly bills, the last thing you want is to be blindsided by Sallie Mae immediately after you receive your diploma. After all, there’s a reason why she wasn’t invited to your graduation party!

In all seriousness, most loan plans offer deferments on payback for at least 6 months after graduation, so you’ll likely have some breathing room, but it’s always best to check in on this before that first bill arrives. As soon as you’re able to, determine the due date of your first bill, how much you’ll be expected to pay per month, and the grand total of what you owe (eek!). It won’t be a fun thing to do, but it’s a necessary evil. Keep in mind that how you pay back your loans will affect your credit score, and it’s best to take it very seriously.

Plus, if you’re ahead of the curve in figuring out your payback situation, you may be able to request reduced payment options or a longer loan deferment plan, if you can’t secure dependable income or decide to pursue a full-time graduate program. If you’re concerned about making the necessary payments or have further questions regarding this process, meet with a loan advisor to discuss your options.

Clean up your social media profiles.

Believe it or not, your social media profile can now keep you from getting a job. Before you claim that no one over 40 can accurately use Instagram, hear us out. In a study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, it was discovered that approximately 84 percent of companies use social media to scout candidates for job openings. Further, 70 percent of employers use social media sites to screen potential employees before handing over an official job offer, and 54 percent of employers report dismissing an otherwise promising candidate because of distasteful social media content.

When it comes to social media, you don’t need to completely sanitize your pages of all personality—just focus on presenting an air of professionalism to whoever may be looking at your page. Do your best to post thoughtfully and include photos of yourself that your grandparents would approve of. Take it from us, no potential employer has any interest in seeing your party antics.

The same thing goes for any controversial posts. If you have a lot of contentious content on your page, you may want to consider cleaning house before sending off those job applications. Your senior year of college is a great time to take a hard look at your posts from the past few years—even high school—and delete anything you wouldn’t want a future employer to see.

Also, consider setting all accessible profiles to Private. Doing so can greatly minimize the odds that your ill-timed Tweet from five years ago will circulate without your permission. Just be sure that your profile picture and bio, which can still be seen, even in Private mode, is free of any questionable content.

Start paying attention to the news.

While in college, it’s absurdly easy to get caught up in the “bubble” of college life on campus. When you’re inside the bubble, it appears little else matters, and the woes of the outside world can’t harm you.

Hopefully, you’re already aware that this isn’t an ideal way to live, nor will it do you any favors once you’re out in the real world. Now that you’re on your way to becoming a college graduate, it’s high time you started paying attention to current affairs, so that you can become an educated member of society and help voice your opinions on domestic and global issues, whether it’d be volunteering for a cause that’s near and dear to your heart, or simply voting during scheduled elections.

Thanks to the internet, there are many online resources dedicated to current events that it’s now easier than ever to keep up with U.S. and world news. You can even sign up for easy-to-read email digests of news stories from the most reputable names in the media industry. Despite the method, aim to spend thirty minutes a day learning about the world, and you’ll never have to Google “What is Brexit?” again!

Get some real-world experience via a part-time job or internship.

We know, we know – can’t you just have some fun until graduation comes? While we absolutely encourage living it up before graduation, your senior year is also an ideal time to consider internship options, or if you have time for it, a part-time job. Doing so not only gives you a major leg up towards the end of your college career, but it also provides an invaluable way to determine if your desired career path is right for you.

Too often, college students blindly assume they’ll love everything about their career path, especially if the projected salary is high. But taking an internship or relevant part-time job well ahead of graduation day will allow you to familiarize yourself with your chosen field, see it for what it truly is, and decide whether it’s something you can stomach doing every day for the rest of your life. Even if you love the field, there will probably be some aspects of it that surprise you, and that’s okay, too. When you complete relevant job or internship duties, you’ll be able to shift expectations of your future livelihood if necessary, so that you’ll be better prepared when it’s time to start that brand-new adult job.

And if none of your friends seem that concerned about internships, don’t let that deter your ambition. In fact, approximately 81 percent of college graduates have reported that fulfilling an internship requirement before graduation helped them shift their trajectory to better accommodate what they’re seeking from a career. We’ll bet those students are now working towards a job they love— thanks in part to their days as an intern.

College graduation can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. But with a clear head and level expectations, you can bet that your graduation day will serve as the perfect jumping off point for a rewarding career. Start your senior year with these tips in mind, and you’ll soon find that your college experience signifies only the beginning of a lifetime of accomplishments!

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