3 Ways To Make the Most of Your Senior Year of High School
And so it begins. It’s your senior year, and in just a few short months, you’re going to have to make some of the biggest decisions of your life so far.
Where will I go to college?
How will I find the money for college?
Will I go to college at all?
What do I want to do with my life?
There are so many things to consider, and it can get pretty overwhelming. You don’t want to go to a college that will be too costly/burdensome. You don’t want to go to a school and end up with a bad education. And you certainly don’t want to have to figure all this out on your own. If you make the wrong decision, you could end up paying more money, miss out on opportunities for growth, not have the right mentor, not be equipped for your vocation, and so on. So how do you make the most of your college career? How can you best prepare yourself for the future that God has planned for you?
All this, and you know that you still have an entire school year in front of you. How do you plan to make the most of your college career while also making the most of what God has for you today?
As you look ahead to what the future might hold, it’s important to do three things: focus on today, seek God’s will, and ask for help.
Focus on Today
As you walk through this year, don’t forget to live in the moment. The pursuit of excellence (a calling for all believers in Christ, Phil. 3:12-17) is all about what you can do to be better today. Not that you shouldn’t seek to be prepared, but Jesus Himself commands us to focus on today. Matthew 6:31-34 (KJV) says,
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
As we face our daily responsibilities, we are to trust God with our future. Our first priority is to seek the Kingdom of God in all things – in our day-to-day routine (classes, homework, sports, work, and more), and in our concerns about tomorrow (where will I go to college? What career is God calling me to?). While preparation is important, our focus must be on pursuing God today.
Seek God’s Will
What God wants is more important than what you want. Psalm 37:3-5 says,
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
In our culture of materialism, it’s easy to get caught up in the “American dream.” Great jobs, big houses, fancy cars, luxurious lifestyles, and more encompass what the world wants. But as Christians, we can only have true joy if we are satisfied in God’s will. As we delight ourselves in our Lord, we begin to understand that what we want is not always what He wants, and we begin to desire what He wants more than what we want.
The college decision is no different from any other decision in life. God has a plan for your future, and it’s not always easy to discern what that plan is. But by aligning our hearts with God’s will through prayer, the study of His Word, and seeking godly counsel, we will be given wisdom that is not our own (James 1:5).
Ask for Help
Go to your parents. Talk to your pastors. Ask your trusted friends what they think. Though the college decision is yours, you do not have to figure out college on your own. You have people around you whom the Lord will use to help you make the most of your college experience.
You know who else is here for you?
We are.
Maranatha is a community on a mission to help you make the most of your college career. God has designed life to be a community effort. Even before you become a student, you can get support from your admissions advisor, academic leaders, and more. Once you are a student, you’ll be surrounded by your professors, dorm leaders, friends, mentors, and others who will be with you every step of the way so you can become the leader God has called you to be.
Learn more about:
We offer these programs, these sports, these fine arts, this community – for your future. We do it all so that you can be prepared to face the world God is calling you to.
So, as you make the most of your final year of high school and plan for what’s next, remember to focus on today, seek God’s will, and ask for help.