The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and the students are growing more and more restless – that’s right, it’s second semester. Reaching the halfway point of the school year is exciting for every grade, but arguably is even better when you’re a senior. However, with the thought of going through your final months of high school floating in the back of your mind, it can be hard to keep focus.

Observe: the phenomenon of “senioritis”.

Senioritis can come in many different forms and can range from, “I don’t feel like doing my math homework tonight” to “I haven’t gone to school in a week”. Nevertheless, however terribly you may be affected by senioritis, The Valhalla is here to help. We reached out to graduated LSHS students to reflect on second semester of senior year and all the advice, hits, misses, and ways to make the transition into the next part of your life one to remember.

What’s the best part of being a second semester senior, to those underclassmen wishing they were the seniors right about now? “My favorite part had to be the anticipation of everything,” Class of 2016 graduate (and former Valhalla reporter) Adalyn Tibbits said. “College, graduation, my final summer before moving…Second semester was the final stretch when everything started to become real, and although it was scary not knowing exactly what was going to happen, it was one of the best feelings in the world.”

Amidst the anticipation of moving on to bigger and better things, schoolwork can sometimes get lost. Class of 2015 graduate Roberta Pierce said, “I definitely struggled with getting my schoolwork done, and I highly recommend fighting your way through the last little bit.”

“I was lazy and didn’t do as much as I could have,” Payton Walles, Class of 2016, said.

But even though schoolwork is important to focus on, there’s a whole other beast to figure out when entering senior year: college applications and scholarship opportunities. They’re everywhere, and seniors can agree that college application and scholarship stress is very real. It’s not a new thing. Make sure to look out for any and all scholarships match your qualifications and make sure to apply for all of them! It may seem like a daunting task, but it’s essential to any incoming college student.

“I applied for every scholarship I qualified for that my college offered as well as multiple through LSHS,” Tibbits recalled. “Although I didn’t get all of them and it took months of work, essay writing, video submissions and interviews, I still cut my college tuition in half.”

As well as taking advantage of the free money at home, Walles recommends another way to get a head start for college. “Don’t forget to work, you’ll need that money for books and food and whatever else college [may] demand of you.” Job openings for teenagers can be found all over Lake Stevens and Snohomish County – so get out there and keep your eyes peeled for “Help Wanted” signs!

Besides all of the important academic aspects involved in the second half of senior year, there are numerous opportunities not to miss involving you and your classmates.

“Please don’t not go to [the] senior dinner dance,” Tibbits encouraged. “It was easily the highlight of my second semester, and it’s even better than prom, I promise you.”

Along with the dance, Pierce recommends going to the senior grad night as well.

“It’s a great last hurrah to spend with everyone, so celebrate graduating together and looking forward to what the future holds for each and every one of you.”

Perhaps the most important thing, however, is not to worry too much about what lies ahead. “Live in the present and enjoy the time you have left as a high schooler, because it will fly so fast,” said Tibbits.

Likewise, “don’t worry so much about what your classmates think,” as Walles suggested. You’re all getting to finish line your own way, and the important thing is that you soak up the feeling of being a senior.

“It feels like there is a mountain between you and graduating,” Pierce remembered. “[But] lace up your boots and keep on marching. Before you know it, that mountain is just a little bump in the road.” Remember to stop and smell the roses and soak up the sun.

And most importantly, Pierces says to “be excited for the future. It’s scary, but don’t dread it. Life doesn’t end after graduating, that’s when it truly begins for you.”

From all of us at The Valhalla, we wish the Class of 2017 good luck for finishing out the year strong!