To: A FUTURE SENIOR

Hey guys!

IT'S DECEMBER! Isn't that crazy? I know it has been december for 14 days but it feels as though just yesterday it was August and we were about to come back to school. 

ANYWAYS- Here are some tips for all underclassman from a senior who wishes they had done some things differently. 

1) Procrastination is the ENEMY: As in- 

• Don't wait until the last minute to ask for recommendations- asking for a recommendation is hard enough without the additional stress of timing .
• Start your writing supplements, you know, before the last couple of weeks they are due- Writing supplements SUCK. Don't get me wrong, there is the occasional fun one like "Describe your favorite book in a sentence" or "Elaborate on an extracurricular activity" but then you get that horrible, awful, depressing, terrible: "Why did you pick this school and this major and this department aka just talk about how great this school is and how you have your life all planned out even though we all know you actually have no idea what you are doing." 
• Pick out which colleges you want to apply to over the summer- its so hard to apply when you don't know WHERE your applying to. I thought I had my list made and then completely changed it this month (yes this month as in december as in yes I'm screwed).

2) YOU DO YOU. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the people around you and forget that it really doesn't matter. Don't worry about who's applying where or who just got accepted/rejected/wait-listed/deferred/whatever else. You did your best throughout high school and as much as you wanna go back and kick freshman you's butt, you can't. So accept your GPA and accept your SAT/ACT scores and write a stellar essay! (Unless its the previously mentioned horrible, awful, depressing, terrible topic where in that case I give you permission to cry for a little bit and write an OKAY essay).

3) GET INVOLVED! Yes yes yes yes I KNOW. Everyone says this one and you've all heard it so many times before... but by "get involved" I don't mean "go out and join 100 clubs". I mean, whatever clubs/sports/volunteering/work/musical/activities you are already in, GET INVOLVED! Trust me when I say it is SO MUCH EASIER to talk about activities when you actually care about what you are doing or have a funny story to talk about. Interviews/Essays/Applications will all ask you about your extracurriculars, and the more memories and stories you have, the better those aforementioned things will go. (The fact that I just used 'aforementioned' in a sentence >>>)

4) ENJOYYY! It is so easy to get stressed out about school work and applications that you forget to go out and have fun! Make memories! Go out on an adventure! Sing your heart out! Buy presents! And hopefully, when you look at the calendar this time next year and see "December 14th," you won't think to yourself "What have I been doing these past 5 months?" 

-Habiba 

P.S. I expect you all to be tapa-chic on monday for our party! ;)