How To Set Yourself Up For Success Before Senior Year: A Guide For Grade Eleven And Twelve
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Senior year is often seen as the most important year of high school, but preparing for it starts much earlier. While Grade 12 can feel like a fresh start, the choices you make in Grade 11 can have a big impact on the opportunities available to you later. From your grades and extracurriculars to your plans for the future, there are many ways to set yourself up for success before senior year even begins.
Take Grade 11 Seriously
One of the best ways to prepare for your senior year is to take Grade 11 seriously. Your Grade 11 grades can be important when applying to post-secondary programs. For example, local universities like UBC considers Grade 11 and Grade 12 coursework when evaluating secondary-school applicants, while SFU also evaluates approved Grade 11 and Grade 12 courses. Capilano University has its own admission requirements and evaluates applicants based on specific Grade 12 courses and other criteria. These differences show why it is important to look into the requirements for the schools and programs you are interested in. Don’t assume that you can wait until Grade 12 to start focusing on your grades.
Grade 11 is also a good time to start paying attention to your course choices. Different programs can have specific Grade 11 or Grade 12 prerequisites, so researching these requirements early can help you make informed decisions about your Grade 12 schedule. For example, SFU Beedie School of Business requires Pre-Calculus 12 and UBC requires Anatomy and Physiology for the Dental Hygiene degree. Even if you don’t know exactly what you want to study after high school, becoming familiar with your options can help you feel more prepared.
Grade 11 isn’t only about academics, either. It is a great year to get involved in your school and community. Join a club, volunteer, take on a leadership position, participate in a school activity, or gain work experience. These experiences can help you develop new skills, explore your interests, and build experiences that you can carry into your post-secondary applications.
You don’t have to do everything. Instead, focus on activities that you genuinely enjoy and can commit to. Grade 11 is the year to start building your academic record, experiences, and habits that will help you enter Grade 12 feeling prepared.
Use The Summer Wisely
Once Grade 11 comes to an end, the summer before Grade 12 gives you an opportunity to prepare without the pressure of assignments, tests, and extracurricular activities happening at the same time.
One of the easiest things you can do is get organized. Create a list of the activities you have participated in, the places you have volunteered, the jobs you have had, the awards you have received, and the leadership experiences you have gained. Keeping track of these things now will make it much easier when you eventually have to fill out applications (scholarships, admissions, jobs, etc).
The summer is also a good time to research post-secondary options. Look into universities, colleges, programs, admission requirements, and application deadlines. If you are considering applying to schools in B.C., take some time to understand how the application process works and what each program expects from applicants. You do not have to know exactly where you are going yet, but creating a short list of possibilities can make the process feel much more manageable.
This is also a great time to make a list of people who could support you as a reference for applications. The UBC Personal Profile requires 2 or more referees, while other programs like the Bachelor of Legal Studies at Capilano University require 2 reference letters.
Scholarships are another thing worth looking into early. There are many different scholarships with different requirements and deadlines, and waiting until the last minute can mean missing opportunities. Making a list of scholarships you may be eligible for can help you keep track of what you need to complete once Grade 12 begins.
Websites like ScholarTree or Scholarships Canada can help you find tons of scholarships, providing information about what kind of scholarships you can apply for. They can also help make the application process for more known ones like the Beedie Luminaries Scholarship and the TD Community Leadership Scholarship.
Finally, think about what you want your senior year to look like. Set a few realistic goals for your grades, extracurricular activities, personal life, or post-secondary plans. You do not need a detailed five-year plan. The goal is simply to have an idea of what you want to accomplish.
Don’t Forget To Enjoy Yourself
Although preparing for Grade 12 is important, your summer should not become one long university application session. After a busy Grade 11, you deserve time to rest and recharge.
Spend time with your friends and family, travel if you have the opportunity, try something new, or simply enjoy having a break from school. The summer before senior year is a chance to make memories before everyone becomes busy with graduation, applications, jobs, and plans for life after high school.
Finding a balance is key. Spend some time getting organized and thinking about the future, but also give yourself permission to relax. You do not need to have your entire future figured out before September.
Preparing for senior year starts long before the first day of Grade 12. For B.C. students, Grade 11 can already play an important role in the post-secondary admission process, making it a year worth taking seriously. Your grades, courses, extracurricular activities, and experiences can all help you build a strong foundation for what comes next.
Then, when summer arrives, take some time to organize your accomplishments, research your options, look into scholarships, and set goals for Grade 12. But just as importantly, take time to enjoy yourself and recharge.
You do not need to enter senior year with everything figured out. You just need to enter it prepared to make the most of the opportunities ahead.
References:
https://www.sfu.ca/students/admission/programs/a-z/b/business/requirements.html
https://www.sfu.ca/students/admission/admission-requirements.html
https://you.ubc.ca/applying-ubc/requirements/canadian-high-schools-ok/#british-columbia
https://www.capilanou.ca/admissions/apply-to-capu/admission-requirements/
https://you.ubc.ca/applying-ubc/how-to-apply/personal-profile/
https://scholartree.ca/scholarships