By the time the yearbook is submitted, most advisers feel two things at once: First, RELIEF, and second, PERSPECTIVE. The deadlines are behind you. The hard part is done. And for the first time in months, there is enough distance to look back and ask: Do I want next year to operate the same way? It is worth taking a step back and deciding what should actually change.

No adviser ever says, “I wish we included less.” But every year, schools look back and think: “We should have covered that.” “I can’t believe we didn’t document that.” “I wish we had asked students about that moment.” By late February, most books are well underway, which makes this the perfect time to pause and ask: Are we capturing everything that matters? Schools often regret not including these 5 things:

Most yearbooks are done correctly. The deadlines are met. The pages are filled. The photos are clear. And yet years later, they sit untouched on a shelf. This is not because anyone failed, but because “good enough” does not create connection.