Jasmine Garcia Rodriguez

Advice to Future Seniors For the Month of March

There are only two things on a senior’s mind this month: the Senior Project and college admissions. Even as seniors try to look on the bright side this month, they cannot seem to escape the gloomy atmosphere: but maybe that’s just the random, heavy showers we’ve been experiencing this month. Either way, this month truly lives up to the title “March Madness” as seniors prepare for their senior project while hourly checking their application status. As the month progresses, anxiety only seems to rise as admissions roll in–good thing we have spring break to end this chaotic month.  

Senior Project – The Countdown That Follows

It’s an insane month solely due to the senior project, to think we started it at the beginning of the year and now the time has come to demonstrate our knowledge. This year the requirements changed for the AP students: they too must present for a minimum of seven minutes like their non-AP classmates (previously the minimum time was five minutes). What seemed to be unjust and challenging proved to be the least of our worries as students managed to not only meet the time requirement, but some managed to go over the maximum time limit.

The key to passing the Senior Project is no secret; practicing your presentation (especially in front of other people) is essentially all it takes. Your job is to showcase the knowledge you gained through this project and educate the judges on your topic. If you want to just “pass”, then wait until that very week to put together your slides and hope you get community members as your judges. I cannot stress this enough, practice until you’ve completely memorized your powerpoint. Being able to speak without the aid of flashcards is not only necessary for the future, but also increases the likelihood of receiving a higher grade–and if that’s not enough, at least do it for the button.

College Admissions – The Letter

Anxious is the best way to describe the emotional state of seniors as the month progresses. The poor souls are given no time to rest as college admissions are being sent almost every other day with some bring joy and others resulting in disappointment. The letter of hopes and dreams. The letter of betrayal and disappointment. The admission letter. Nevertheless, this month will bring some sort of news. Hopefully, it’s the news you want to hear.

I’ll be honest, it’s devastating getting rejected: however, it’s not the end of the world. The admissions process sometimes can seem irrational as students that were accepted to a UC were rejected from a CSU. No matter where you start, at the end of the day it matters how you finish. Going to college doesn’t guarantee a diploma, and where you go doesn’t determine what you will do. Everyone college offers a degree, what you do with it is ultimately up to you.

Regardless, college is expensive and the idea of taking out a loan scares me. Compare your options and try to visit the schools. Cost and feel are going to be the main deciding factor–you want your next four years to feel like home away from home. Seniors, best of luck these next two month trying to not succumb to senioritis or stress.

Photo Credits Jasmine Garcia 2019