The team at Diploma Frames have kindly shared their insights into how best to prepare for College, enjoy!

If you’re close to finishing your senior year, all sorts of questions will be running through your mind right now. One might be: ‘have I really made the most of my last year?’, while another could be: ‘have I put the right steps in place to be successful at college?’

Whatever your concerns, we have them wrapped up here in our blog. It’s important you enjoy your senior year and all the exciting times it might bring with it, but it’s also a time of realization: realization that you’re no longer a child and you must therefore step tentatively into adulthood. Are you ready for it? With our checklist, you will be…

Put Plans in Place

So you’ve planned what to wear on your graduation day, but have you thought even further ahead? What could you be doing now, for example, that will help you when college finishes and it’s time to get a job? Put some steps in place now; seek out a good mentor and discover what it takes to get your foot in the door regarding an exciting new internship. Alternatively, speak to the people who are doing the job you want. That way, you’ll have a clear plan of action in mind when college finishes and real life begins.

Order Your Essential Graduation Kit 

Graduation day takes a lot of planning, too; don’t leave it to the last minute. Have you ordered your cap and gown? And what about thank you cards and other essentials for the day? Maybe you’re thinking of throwing a post-graduation party? Get organized and buy everything you need now – you’ll give yourself a pat on the back later. Graduation’s one of the biggest days of your life, so allow for a little sentimentality to seep into the day itself. Have you thought about a fun way you can preserve your memories of the event, for example? Diploma frames are a great idea and can be cherished forever.

Don’t Forget Thank-Yous

Alongside ordering your cap and gown, have you considered what you might need later down the line? It might be a nice idea to thank tutors and course mentors or those who wrote recommendations with a nice card or gesture for their help getting you through the course. At the very least you’ll be ensuring they have a good day (everyone enjoys a little bit of praise), but who knows how it may help in the long-run; they may be able to connect you with a future employer, for example.

Work On Your Resume

You may already have put hours into perfecting your high school resume, but be aware that it’ll need tweaking when you apply for a new job or internship. A list of academics and accomplishments aren’t standard content on an employment resume. Instead, look at the job description carefully and consider what your prospective employer is looking for and tweak your resume to meet the requirements.

Clean Up Your Social Media Profiles

Did you know that most employers check candidates’ social media profiles before – or maybe even after – the interview process? One of the best things you can do before you close out your senior year, then, is take a good look through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+ and remove anything that’s not going to give the right impression to any company you hope to work for or apply for an internship. If you don’t want to do that, make your profile private – and keep it that way. It’s surprising how what you deemed were fairly harmless photos or status updates can actually hinder you in your job search. 

Do you have any tips of your own for ensuring your senior year is successful?