The Best Advice for Graduating Seniors

June 24, 2022 byConnections Academy

3 min to read

A mother is hugging her daughter at a highschool graduation

After graduating from online high school, students are equipped to take on the world that lies ahead. Whether your child is graduating and joining the family business, attending a trade school or college, providing good advice for high school graduates is where you can continue the personal and professional development of your child in the real world.

By continuing to support your child’s development after graduation, you can help them build confidence, foster meaningful relationships, and understand what it means to become an adult.

Advice for Graduating Seniors

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Take calculated risks. Overcome your fears and try new things, even if it means making mistakes. It’s important for your personal growth.
Don’t act impulsively. Always consider the consequences of your actions.
Go out of your way to visit new places, meet new people, and test out various hobbies. You never know when you’ll stumble across something you really love.
Look forward to the future but enjoy the present.
Join an online or local club, activity, group, or team.
Build new friendships, but still make time to stay in touch with old friends.
Be careful about what you post on social networks. Employers will often search for information about job candidates online, so think about how you want to present yourself before you post anything online.

An online student playing basketball with friends before graduating high school.

Take the Next Step into Adulthood

Get in the habit of being early for class, work, or appointments. Never underestimate the importance of being punctual.
Use the scheduling skills and organizational skills you developed in virtual school to plan your week, stay on task, and set goals and deadlines for yourself. Use a printed calendar or calendar app to create reminders.
Create a budget and stick to it using a budgeting tool such as Mint.com.
Learn more about insurance, investing, taxes, and other important financial planning tools.
Learn how to take care of a household, whether that means choosing an apartment with affordable rent or learning how to use the tools in a toolbox.
Make healthy choices. Get exercise and eat well. Find a workout buddy to hold you accountable.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. There’s a lot to learn when you become more independent.

An online student writing down the goals she wants to accomplish after high school graduation.

Prepare for the Professional World

Outline a personal development plan to record your goals. If you’re not sure what to do next, think about where you want to be in five years. Visualizing your ideal work situation can help you figure out a plan to get there.
Don’t make education or career choices based on what your friends are doing. Find your own unique path.
Keep an open mind as you consider your options for the future. Don’t be afraid to change your job or your college major. Learning what you don’t like is just as important as learning what you do like.
Make the most of your time by looking for part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer opportunities. Whether you’re looking for the right professional path or getting ready to start college, every role you explore is a learning experience.
Update your wardrobe to include a suit or other type of professional clothing.
Keep all of your best work from high school and start a new file for postgraduate accomplishments. Next, start finding ways to add to the file!
Choose an email address you can share with professional contacts. “FirstName.LastName@gmail.com,” for example, is a much better choice than “CuteePie007@gmail.com.”
Update your résumé and ask a parent, career counselor, or other advisor to look over it.
Create a LinkedIn profile to display your credentials online and expand your professional network.
Never pass up an opportunity to introduce yourself to someone new. You never know when you’ll meet a new friend or future colleague who can help you find other connections.
Begin building relationships with professors, advisors, bosses, co-workers, et al. They can enrich your life and perhaps write letters of recommendation for you in the future.
Find a mentor, which is a type of advisor similar to a school counselor. A mentor is someone you can go to for support and advice regarding your personal or professional development.

At Connections Academy®, we help prepare students to take on the world and build the skills they need to be successful after high school graduation. Learn more about how Connections Academy prepares students for what comes next.