Your senior year isn’t just another school year … it’s the year. The one where everything becomes a “last.” Your last first day of school. Last homecoming. Last pep rally. It’s a time for memory-making, showing up as your best self, and letting the nostalgia hit in waves.
I always love this time of year because as a high school senior photographer for the last 16 years, the energy of back to school is unmatched – truly. I was also that kid who loved school supplies and now I am that adult who loves school supplies lol!
It’s been so fun seeing everyone’s “senior year bucketlists”on TikTok, so I wanted to do a blog on some of the coolest things I’ve found that you absolutely MUST do as you embark upon this amazing last year of high school!
As you can see, I shoot a LOT of high school seniors at our beaches here in Los Angeles. A lot of them come from all over the country to shoot here – and it’s honestly the best – I love showing people our gorgeous beaches in Malibu!
For this post, I’ve rounded up the top 10 things every high school senior has to do before graduation (plus two extra ideas you’ll want to screenshot). Whether you’re here for inspo or planning content for TikTok, let’s make this your best year ever.
1. Paint Your Senior Parking Spot
Let’s be honest – this one’s iconic. If your school allows it, personalizing your parking spot is the perfect way to show your style and stand out. Whether you go full Taylor Swift aesthetic or rep your future college, this is a senior year tradition that screams main character energy. And obviously, don’t forget to take lots of pics while you’re doing it AND after … or hey, do a whole tutorial for TikTok and Youtube!
🖌️ Here’s a bunch of inspo from Pinterest!
2. Senior Sunrise Photo Frame
Start your senior year watching the sunrise with your besties and make a super cute photo frame! There are loads of tutorials on Pinterest and TikTok – some of them are super big so you can fit all your friends in it 🙂 Bring blankets, donuts, and hot coffee. Capture it all on your phone. Then do the same for a sunset during your last week of school – bookend your year with the people who matter most.
📸 Pro tip: These make amazing Reel content or yearbook photos. Here’s a TikTok with some fun examples!
3. Go All Out for Spirit Week & Pep Rallies
No excuses this year. Raid your closet (or your grandma’s attic) and commit to every theme day like it’s the Met Gala. You only get one more shot to go wild for Wacky Wednesday or throwback for Throwback Thursday. Be the one everyone remembers – don’t let being cringe stand in your way of creating the most fun memories … trust me on this. And go to the pep rallies! I was a cheerleader in high school and we actually had the job of putting these together – so much work for 17 year olds lol but also … so fun!
4. Throw (or Attend) a Senior Year Movie Party
A bonfire, backyard movie night, or themed sleepover totally counts. The goal? Be with people you love. Make memories. And yes, take way too many photos.
🎉 Get inspired with these senior party themes.
5. Vlog or Journal Your Senior Year
Even if you think you won’t care later…you will. Start a private TikTok series if you don’t want to make it public, create a photo dump album each month, or write letters to your future self (this is a personal fave; I am SO glad I kept all my journal entries from my own senior year which was …. a LONG AF time ago lol. You will be so happy you did this! Document the laughs, the chaos, and everything in between.
My own senior year scrapbook is still something I look back on – I kept everything 🙂
📝 I love this bullet journal someone did on TikTok
and here’s a great one that has prompts built in.
6. Dress Up for Every Dance (Yes, Every One)
Homecoming, Winter Formal, Prom – go to all of them. Even if it’s not “your thing.” You’ll never regret dancing like nobody’s watching and capturing those core memories with your crew and going with friends instead of a date is kinda awesome actually.
And don’t skimp on PROM! You spend all this money on your dress – don’t forget about makeup and hair (Jami Cox is the BEST) + I always offer my senior clients senior prom mini shoots – make sure you are on my mailing list to get all the deets!
💃 Need dress inspo? Here’s what’s trending this season.
7. Pick Your Senior Year Quote
I am such a quote girlie .. I have a collection of them on my phone and also in my notes app; you never know when you are going to need the BEST quote LOL! Here are some faves related to senior year you might want to use:
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
— Henry David Thoreau“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
— A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson“Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.”
— Michael Josephson“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
— William Shakespeare“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”
— Andy Bernard (The Office)“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
— Steve Jobs“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
— Dr. Seuss“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
— Maya Angelou
8. Get Your Senior Pics Done Right (This One’s Big)
Listen, your senior portraits are kind of a big deal. They’re the photos that’ll hang in your parents’ house forever (trust me, my 16×20 canvas is still on my parents’ wall from 1988!), show up on graduation invites, and probably be the last “official” photo of you before adulthood hits. So you don’t want them looking stiff, awkward, or worse – boring.
I specialize in luxury senior portraits that feel like you. Whether you’re more boho and barefoot, edgy and bold, or classic and timeless, I’ll help you show up as your most confident self. You’ll get stunning, scroll-stopping images that feel effortless, and an experience that’s actually fun. Dreamy senior photos are super trendy at the moment and I absolutely love shooting those! You can see lots of my senior portrait work over on my TikTok, in addition to the Senior Page here on my site.
📸 Or you can click here to book your session with me now. (Spots fill fast!)
9. Senior Jeans!
I looooove that seniors are DIYing their senior jeans and overalls – such a fun trend! I wish we had done this in my senior year but I did find some super cute examples and ideas on how to make them on Pinterest:
10. Apply to College (or Whatever’s Next)
Don’t sleep on this one. Even if you’re still figuring out your post-grad plans, senior year is your time to start taking steps toward your future. Apply to schools, look into travel programs, consider trade schools or creative careers – whatever feels aligned for you. Maybe a gap year is best for you and that’s okay too! But if you ARE planning to go to college, those applications can be a LOT … I remember from my own kids. My daughter especially needed a lot of help with the whole process because she applied to a LOT of colleges lol. I hired someone to help her and it was the best decision – for both of us 😉
🎓 Check out this college application checklist.
Bonus Idea: Make a Memory Box
This is my favorite idea actually – and I did a version of this way back when for my own senior year (that is stilled STUFFED with all the things – so fun to look back on!)
Take your ticket stubs, Polaroids, notes from friends, your tassel, your schedule – anything you want to remember – and keep it in one place. It’ll be gold in 10 years and your kids will get a big kick out of it one day haha! You can find some fun ideas for these HERE and on TikTok of course!
Bonus Idea: Play Senior Assassin
If your school does this, you know it’s elite. If not, grab some water guns and make your own rules with your friends. It’s hilarious, intense, and total core memory material.
Final Thoughts
Your senior year is a whirlwind of “lasts,” but it’s also full of firsts. It’s your chance to show up, stand out, and soak in every little moment. Don’t just let it pass you by … live it out loud. You will NEVER regret living life to its fullest – I promise.
And if you’re ready to book your senior portraits, I’ve got you. Let’s create something epic together .. your senior year deserves more than just a friend snapping some pics with her iPhone. I create custom experiences for high school seniors in the LA area – and it’s way more than just pictures. You get complimentary professional hair and makeup, help with locations and what to wear every step of the way – and it’s collaborative.
This is not MY senior photo session, but hey … wanna quick laugh? Here’s actually MY senior photo session:
Yeah … told ya 🙂 Trust me – YOUR senior portrait experience is going to be WAY cooler than mine was haha!
🎯 Click here to grab your spot on my calendar.
Read the Comments +