There’s no time like the present to be a senior.  I’m enjoying senior year already, but I’m always thinking about prom, the senior trip, exams, graduation, college…
The problem is, I don’t know when half those things are.  Prom’s June 16, isn’t it? The only time the senior class really discussed (or rather, was presented to) about the subject in length, it was two PowerPoints on senior night (during the summer) and PSAT day.  I really don’t think many people were taking notes, or recall those details.
And no, it’s not the type of thing only seniors would, or should, care about.  After all, underclassmen actually take their finals during finals week.  Now, when is finals week? It’s sometime in early June after SOL’s, but that’s just based on precedent.
This isn’t just about convenience.  We all have plans for the summer, even if those plans involve sitting on the couch all day eating popsicles.  Many of these plans involve going travel, or even leaving school before the last day.  Summer is the time for long trips and big plans, which require planning several months in advance.
We’re always told that a clear plan is the key to success.  Well, the plan for the end of the year really isn’t clear.  Leaving nothing to the imagination would be no fun, but it’s easier to look forward to stuff when it has a real date.  After all, the M in SMART stands for measurable.
It could also help mitigate senioritis, though that may be wishful thinking.  I don’t have this problem, but many people ‘slip’ this semester.  Part of this is that the end of the year just seems so far away when it’s March.  If the end of the year activities were more defined, and people were semi-regularly reminded of them, I’d at least hope students, namely seniors, would be more motivated.
Overall, this is a rather minor complaint, but I think it’s one that would increase students’ quality of life if addressed.  It would make students’ lives easier to plan, goals easier to set, and could maybe even improve student-staff relations as it would increase transparency.
I understand events take time to finalize, and I realize there is a possibility that the dates are normally are published as early as possible.  Still, I think it would be more helpful if ordinary students were more ‘in the know’ about end of the year events; that could involve more discussions on dates, details, or something else.
At least think about it, please?