Hi Bronx Science! This is Teddy Lowen ’18 and Melina Asteriadis ’18 with the fourth and final edition of our advice column for the year, dedicated to providing useful tips and answers to make your experience at Bronx Science the best it can be.

This month’s column is the last one we have for you before we graduate. It has been a great year, and we will miss handing down advice to you all. Our final issue is dedicated to current juniors, geared towards passing along what we think are the most important pieces of advice to have for senior year:

Be very, very, organized. You’ve been hearing this for many years, but senior year is the most crucial time for this to be implemented. Senior year is arguably the most stressful year of high school, as you are dealing with college applications on top of all your schoolwork.

Drafts are your friends. If you ask any graduating senior, they will tell you this: starting a draft of your college essay over the summer is extremely helpful. It will take away a lot of the stress of first semester if you start over the summer. Even if you do not use it, it is a great way to get your creative juices flowing on such a key part of your college application.

Do not forget to spend time with your friends. You are entering the last year of high school, which is the last time all your friends will be together in the same school. It is important to spend as much time as possible with each other and not get caught up in schoolwork or college stress. Try  new activities with your friend group to make the most of your last year together.

Try to alleviate your stress levels and just enjoy the ride that is senior year.

Keep things in perspective. Take it from two people who already went through the college process: while it is easy to get caught up on one school, the reality is that there are so many colleges that can be a good fit for you, and no matter where you end up, you will find a way to be happy and get a great education. So while it is good to have goals, keep in mind that this is a small part of your life. Try to alleviate your stress levels and just enjoy the ride that is senior year.

We hope you have enjoyed our advice column this year, and that you found our advice helpful. This is our last column before we graduate, so good luck in your remaining years at Bronx Science!