Studying and applying for scholarships seems to be all I’ve done in the past couple weeks. Does anyone else feel swamped with responsibilities and deadlines? I’ve found it helpful to stay as organized as possible. Perhaps you could make a list of all your potential scholarships and the requirements for each one; making a list for your colleges wouldn’t hurt either. While this process doesn’t automatically generate completed scholarships and applications, it does create less stress when searching through papers or documents for needed information.

Whew. Since school began, I feel like I have been going and going like the Energizer bunny…and after-school baseball practices haven’t even started yet. “Senioritis” has officially reached its maximum level; I just pray that I have the determination to finish what I need to do before the end of high school.

While suffering with senioritis, it’s nice to take an occasional break from the flow. During the last two weeks, I was selected to the All-City Football team and the All-South Plains 5A-4A team (the region where we live in west Texas is frequently referred to as the South Plains). In addition, each year my church participates in an event called Leadership Training for Christ, or LTC. Since third grade, I have been to Dallas to take part. This year I’m involved in a drama group, a puppet group, and three choruses. Not too many people know this about me, but I love to sing. We started practice a few weeks ago and I’m having a blast.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think all students should be involved in something, if only to retain their sanity! During senior year, students routinely hear “Finish your homework; you’re not out of school yet” or “Have you applied to that college yet?” But we are still kids who like to have fun. Whether it’s music, art, athletics, reading, or another activity, make sure to have fun and don’t get lost in the due dates and applications. Just don’t get involved with wild parties and things of a similar nature. Nothing productive can come from that, but that’s another subject for another day.

Meanwhile, my final college exam is rapidly approaching. I have tried to manage fifteen minutes studying here and there. My advice? Even though you may be busy with other extracurricular activities or responsibilities, make sure you don’t slack off on these tests. For those taking the ACT on Saturday, February 7th, I encourage you to prepare now. The sequence is simple: the earlier you take the ACT, the sooner you receive your scores. And the earlier you receive your scores, the sooner you can submit those scores to colleges for early scholarship consideration. This is why many professors advise students to take these critical tests even as juniors.

Prom, senior trips, graduation, and finals — events that once seemed a lifetime away — are now squarely on the horizon. I hope that each and every one of you has an amazing time at your respective proms, graduations, and so forth. Make it a senior year to remember forever. Have a blessed week wherever you go and I’ll be in touch!