March 1st: The beginning of the month where seniors start to develop major senioritis. Although most seniors have heard back from all of their schools, some of them still do not know where they are going in the fall. Even though the majority of seniors in Old Lyme feel at ease during this time of year, those of us who aren’t bleeding money have to apply for scholarships. Although the scholarship applications are not as time-consuming or as long as college applications, they are still tedious nonetheless. Luckily, the guidance office creates a bulletin filled with many different types of local scholarships. Although some scholarships are oddly specific (“this scholarship only applies to students who plan to enroll in a four year accredited institution in Connecticut majoring in forestry”), there are numerous available even in our small community that you’ll be guaranteed to find a few that you would be eligible for. In addition, depending on where your parents work, you may have an opportunity to apply for more scholarships that have fewer total applicants at their workplaces, therefore you will have a better chance of being awarded the money. You aren’t required to apply for scholarships, however if you are a member of the middle-class, it is highly advised that you apply for at least a few so you won’t be paying off student loans for the rest of your life. Although the seniors are not completely done with their post-high school planning, they feel much more at ease, and much less likely to study as hard as they used to, because they realize that graduation is only a little over three months away 🙂