Words of Wisdom from Senior Year

Seniors at Cicero Prep wrote down some words of wisdom for the incoming senior class. These handwritten notes will be placed in a time capsule and opened by the new senior class next year. Take a moment to read a few of these very thoughtful, mature, and frankly practical pieces of advice from the Class of 2023.

“Don’t be too confident in the time you will have to complete a project/essay/etc. Anything can come along and change that, so don’t procrastinate even if you think you are simply managing your time (mostly in regard to your thesis).
If you are struggling and are too proud to ask for a teacher’s help, ask your friends. They will be more than happy to help and don’t think that is not the case.
Lastly, you will hear a lot about how you are the role models when it comes to younger students. Although it will seem repetitive, every action of yours will most likely be replicated by the younger kids… Help the new lower classmen become mature Cicero student who care about their community and classmates.”

I know you hear that senior year goes by fast a million times – but nothing will prepare you for how fast it really goes. Literally soak in every detail.
Go on the D.C. trip. Easily the best week of the year. It was more fun than I could have ever imagined.
If you do the Logic and Rhetoric track, rhetoric is a lot of fun! There are lots of fun writing prompts we do 1^st semester, so let yourself have fun with it.
Get a job and save money – college is unbelievably expensive.
Get your thesis done at the deadlines. It helps alleviate stress and you’ll probably get a better score. Haha.
Senior year is only as good as YOU make it. Talk to admin and faculty about having as many fun spirit days and weeks as possible! They’ll make your class grow closer and make more memories.
The HL [Humane Letter] books for senior year are tough but SO GOOD. Let yourself enjoy them and stretch your brain. Some of these books have changed my life forever.
ENJOY YOUR LAST YEAR!

Have fun, but work hard. It’s easy to think that you can really let loose since it’s your last year, but neglecting your work will only make you more stressed. Find your balance. You’ll thank yourself later.
You’re in this weird stage of life where you are both a child and a young adult. It is possible to act as both. Prove your maturity by staying away from drama – it’s a waste of time and it’s embarrassing. This isn’t 6^thgrade. Solve your problems the way you will need to in the real world. Yet, keep your child-like youth in your curiosity and ability to truly have fun. Take risks and learn from them.
Give grace to your other classmates. You are all in the same boat right now to a degree. It gets stressful, and it gets hard, and people get tired. Be understanding. You don’t know what people are dealing with, and you don’t know how the load of senior year adds to it. So do not be so quick to judge, or get angry, or irritated, or offended in some way. Find comfort and stability with your peers in this time. You’re all seniors for the first time. Give grace to each other.

Manage to find a balance with school, work, etc. This [is] so you have appropriate time to decide your future and choose what’s best for you.
Logic/coding is worth taking because of Mr. J. This can consist of paying attention in his class but also having separate conversations with him individually (If you fancy the subject – What he has to say). Mr. J. is a valuable resource.
Try new things. Different sports, clubs, experiences, etc. will make your senior year much more fulfilling.
The more you put into your thesis, the more you will get out of it. It really is impossible to fail unless you don’t do anything…
Go on the D.C. Trip. If you have the money, it is 100% worth it. This trip brought our class closer for the better.
Being a leader is dope. Although it may sound quirky and cringy, setting a positive example to friends and peers that look up to you is one of the most admirable thing you can do.
School-wise, you should push yourself to see how far you can go. Freshman year to Cum Luade winner this year. The tassel is worth it.
Focus on yourself but be kind and empathetic as much as possible. You don’t know how much it really may mean to someone

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