Senior year of high school is undoubtedly one of the hardest years of a teenager’s life. From scholarships, to college applications, to doing assignments for classes every night, most students find it difficult to find something relaxing and fun to do. So here are a few suggestions from Mr. Stading, Mr. Bettendorf and Mrs. Reda to help students end their high school years with a blast:

1. Attend a Concert, Play or Theater Production

With the Pinnacle Bank Arena being officially opened to the public on September 2013, Lincoln has noticed a significant influx in concerts and popular artists that visit the small, yet busy city. Mr. Bettendorf suggests that, if students are able to, they should find a concert which works with their schedules to attend, especially one for an artist they like. It can be quite fun to celebrate, dance and sing along. Plus it is a great way to hang out with friends if they happen to like the artist as well and are able to attend with you. This also applies to plays and theater productions, especially the ones found right here within our own school. These same productions can also be found on college campuses and other local areas.

2. Go to Movies with Friends

This sounds simple, yet movies are one of the easiest, most convenient and cheapest things to do for people that want to take some time to forget about the stresses of the real world. Movie theaters have the ability to transport someone into an alternative universe with their loud speakers, bright screens and epically entertaining movies. Plus, they are great to go to whether people want to go alone or with friends. Some of the local movie theaters are the Grand, East Park and Edgewood. Even better, all Marcus theaters have $5 movies every Tuesday.

3. Visit Local Places

Nebraska, despite being a relatively small and quaint state, has quite a few local places to visit. There are many parks, exhibitions and museums and restaurants. Mrs. Reda tells a story of a few senior students that went on a trip to visit every local restaurant within Nebraska, and it was a fun-filled trip for the students. Mr. Bettendorf also suggests visiting various local coffee shops and finding your favorite one. But if students are looking for more cost-efficient places to go to, then Mr. Stading suggests local parks and recreational areas such as Mahoney Park and Holmes Lake.

4. Take a Trip

Seniors are highly encouraged to take a trip before the first semester of their college year begins. But these trips do not have to be anything expensive nor extravagant. As mentioned in the last point, recreational areas and parks are great places to visit, not just within Lincoln but in other cities as well.  They can be relatively cheap, and there are multiple activities to enjoy, especially if a person was to go with friends. But if a person wants to experience something a bit more adventurous, then Mr. Bettendorf recommends going to the Plaza District in Kansas City or skiing in Colorado.

5. Invest Time into Something New

When interviewing the teachers, all three of them suggested trying something new as one of their answers. Mrs. Reda especially advocated for trying out new clubs and activities around school, or trying to hang out with new people that a student had not considered befriending before. When doing this a student may find new interests or talents he/she may not have known about before. Not to say that seniors should forgo the important practical stuff for the more fun alternatives. It is still important to fill out scholarships applications, complete college applications, and prepare for college. But it is also important to give your brain and body a break and do something fun every once in awhile.