Priorities to Start my Senior Year Off Right

To wrap up the month, I must take the time to plan for the near future. August 1st is right around the corner, which means I have two days until back-to-school season.

This is the final day of the 30-Day Writing Challenge for July 2020! I’ve slowly been building up to the fall semester, but now it’s right around the corner.

For all of July, I focused on my blog, caring for my hair, and regulating my emotions. I have less than a month before I head back to campus, so I have to step up my game and re-prioritize.

The pandemic has drastically changed my original plans and expectations for the school year.

Campus life will be completely different, as will my work experience. I can adapt, but I know that adjustment will be difficult. I need to simplify the process as much as humanly possible before I start this new journey.

I have a list of nine tasks so far, each with several sub-tasks. For the sake of keeping this post shorter than a research paper, I will focus on five.

1. Officially Unveil my Blog

Once my website was set up, I told my immediate family and friends on social media about it.

I didn’t feel comfortable advertising for my blog because I only had a few posts, and wanted more time to figure out a posting schedule.

It’s been a month now since I resolved to write a post for 30 days, and my blog finally looks complete. Sure, I have more work to do, but I will always need to improve it.

The plan is to announce my blog to Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter – on Monday, August 3 – to reach all of my contacts.

I will also be sharing graphics editing my social media pages to reflect my new brand.

2. Budget for the Fall Semester

Without a budget, I have no way of knowing what I can and cannot afford. Textbooks, materials, tuition payments, chapter payments, groceries, and more all need to be accounted for.

Normally, I’d be working during the summer and able to account for my paychecks. Given the state of the world, and this country, you can understand why I haven’t been.

Depending on where you are in the country, you may be able to walk outside, and you may be able to work, but I am not. Hopefully, I can this fall, but who knows.

Either way, I need to estimate how many hours I’d need to work to earn enough income for my future expenses.

3. Create my Packing List

Moving out of the dorms for the first time in three years was rough, to say the least. I’ve accumulated too much stuff and had to get rid of a lot of it. I had to put things in storage too.

When packing to return to campus, I need only the basics. I don’t even know what the new dorm looks like, so less is more. Besides, it’ll be a good try at the minimalist lifestyle.

I have to create separate lists for all my back-to-school gear: clothing, accessories, notebooks, pens, etc. I don’t want to accidentally leave anything important behind.

4. Organize Career Prep and Academic Materials

I need to get all of my documents in order so that I don’t bring unnecessary paper into my dorm. Piles and piles of paper have scarred me for life. I recycled so much paper before moving out, but there’s still too much.

I’ll only bring what I need to avoid clutter, especially since I’ll be living with my roommate.

As a senior, career preparation is my top priority. I need to organize all of the information I spent so long gathering, and look them over again. I can’t do that unless I put the documents into their own folders and binders.

5. Reconnect with my Mentors

I can’t let all the career prep I’ve done go to waste. My original plans simply aren’t going to be possible right now.

Instead, I’ll create new virtual plans to keep me on track for grad school. I need to send out emails catching up with my new connections and start networking again.

I still have a few months until graduation, but with classes and extracurriculars, it would be too difficult to rush in the spring semester.

Most grad schools need applications before December and January, and it’s better to be ahead than behind.