Eleven years down and one to go. Seniors have seen it all and as the oldest, most experienced, and biggest class at Lane it is time to step forward into the first day of the rest of your life. You are part of a class that now has the most experience under its belt and the class that everyone looks up to. Here are a ten tips to make sure you survive to graduation.

1. Learn how to work a combination lock.

If your combination is 2, 26, 10 first turn the knob clockwise (right) until you reach the 2. If you pass it, just continue going around in the same direction until you hit it again. Next turn the knob counter-clockwise (left) twice, first passing 26, then stopping at 26 the second time around. Finally, turn the knob clockwise again until you reach 10 and pull down hard. If after many tugging attempts without success, you can try again. To reset the lock turn it three times clockwise. Good luck.

2. Colleges still look at first quarter grades senior year. If seniors apply at the regular deadline the colleges will see first semester grades. This means that slacking is going to have to wait until after college acceptance letters are out.

3. Meet your new counselor. Almost everyone’s counselor has changed. Budget cuts and counselors changes have made the whole department reorganized. That means it is time to hop into the counseling department and introduce yourself. They are essential for the college application process.

4. Enjoy everything you can because it will all be gone soon. School ends in just nine short months. Take advantage of everything you have grown to love and try new things. It maybe the last chance to go to a homecoming game or a carnival. Sadly enough, this is your last everything for high school. Live it up.

5. It is not too late to get involved. Plenty of new things happen every day at Lane. Don’t forget to get involved in things that will help you succeed. Never joined that club that you always said you would check out next year? There is no next year.

Club Day is Oct. 1st for Juniors and Seniors after school! (for LTAC and Freshmen Club Day is Sept. 29 and Sophomore Club Day is Sept. 30) Check out clubs and extracurriculars before you go.

6.Naviance is your friend. Really and truly it is one of the single greatest assets that you have as a senior in applying to college.

Psst. If you don’t know what Naviance is CLICK HERE

7. Save your answers from the common app because every school asks those same questions. Save all of the information you fill out on the Common App too because every scholarship, college application, and even most jobs will ask you to list off all of the important things you have done in life for the last four years. That is your time to brag — do not be modest under any circumstances!

8. Create a study habit for college. If you don’t have good study habits by now college will kick you in the butt, so use the last few months of still having a safety net to help guide you to good habits.

9. Demerits are easy to rack up this year. Be warned you can get a demerit for being tardy to first period, and you can get two demerits if you do not get a tardy slip. You can also get two demerits for cutting first period or second period to avoid getting a tardy slip. The message is just get a tardy slip. On the other hand, you do not get a demerit if you are tardy between 8:01 to 8:10 — if you have a tardy slip.

10. Take lots of pictures, and buy a yearbook.