The Senior Summer Sign Off: The top 5 ideas to make the most of your last summer before entering college

Finally graduating high school and moving out may feel like the end of childhood, with a mere two months of summer to make the most of your time before heading to freshman year of college or straight to the workforce. Though I’m only a freshman with three more years in these locker-lined halls, I decided to find some potential bucket list items for the class of 2022.

One of the saddest things about graduating high school is parting ways with your childhood friends. A great way to make the most of your time with these people is a road trip with the people you’re closest with. Hop in the car for a little weekend getaway to Branson or St. Louis. The only rules are to bring tons of snacks, pump your favorite tunes and have the time of your life.

To capture a sense of what your high school experience was like, hop on iMovie and make a compilation of everything that’s been sitting in your Snapchat memories since freshman year. Begin vlogging all of your high school “lasts” and add them in at the end for a sentimental goodbye that your future self will shed a tear for every time you watch it.

Another cute way you can reflect on your growth is by creating a senior-to-senior time capsule. Write yourself a letter to open four years from now about your predictions, questions, hopes and more. You can spray your favorite perfume or cologne in a little jar to remember that scent later on. Include some of your favorite photos from your senior year and even some of your favorite candy for a little blast from the past. 

Any Disney fans? Plan a High School Musical marathon and watch each one of the three movies with your friends or family. Luckily, Disney Plus produced a High School Musical series in 2019 called (and bear with me) High School Musical The Musical The series” aka HSMTMTS. You can binge watch the two seasons this summer for some nostalgia.

If you have younger siblings then it can be pretty sad to leave the nest. This summer should be a time to spend with your family since you most likely won’t be seeing them as often. Plan a sleepover with your sibling and sleep in the same room for a night. Do all your favorite childhood pastimes like watching an old movie, eating your favorite snack as a kid or playing your family board game.

I hope these ideas have inspired you to make the most of your final childhood days. While this can be an emotional time, it’s important to simultaneously recognize the beauty of growing up and have fun with it.