As I am sure you know, the world is a little different than it was at the beginning of my senior year, so I hope this advice remains applicable in the fall. Senior year will be the greatest, you will make so many memories you will hold onto for the rest of your life. The biggest piece of advice I can give for next year is to care about what you are doing. Whether it be painting, photography, or even music, pour your soul into whatever you do. It will show. Art can only give out how much you give it. This is something that has proven itself to me time and time again. If you are trying to force yourself to do something that you don't enjoy doing, you won't enjoy the outcome. It won’t always be what you think either, many people wont find what makes them happy until later than other people, for example I didn’t realize I wanted to animate until around my junior year.

Also, colleges kind of suck. One of the big things I wish someone told me before I starting applying to schools and attending portfolio reviews, was that people that review your portfolio, ARE PEOPLE TOO, so they have their own opinions. I can't count the amount of times that I was crushed after a terrible porfolio review where the person said they didnt like my characters. And it is because of how easy it is to forget that the reps don't have a rubrick for the perfect piece, and can often miss the intention of something.

College reps are also pretty much sales people, and say whatever to get you interested. College counselors can also be a little biased, I have come to learn, so I cannot stress how important it is, to do your own research. DO A LOT OF RESEARCH - on everything from proffessors, classes, stores nearby, best views, and all that jazz.

Anyways, my final thing for you, would be to not stress yourself out too much. This is meant to be some of the most fun and transformative times in your life. And don't let deadlines and grades get in the way of that (meaning do your work on time, and do it well!! - I'm definitley done with this on time).

I hope you all have an amazing, quarantine free senior year.

Sincerely,

Jake Stewart