Senior year: It’s one of those things that people try to explain, but you can’t truly understand it until you experience it. There’s only four months left for seniors in our high school careers, and there’s so much to do in so little time.  

There’s mixed emotions about the high school experience. Some can’t wait to get out of here, for others high school is their life, and some are in between. I haven’t experienced life out of high school yet, but I’m pretty sure there are better years to come. But this also doesn’t mean that we should speed up the clock to get out. There are a few things still left in our time here that we should enjoy.

“Lasts”

The common phrase “save the best for last” is no lie. Last homecoming dance, last rivalry game, last band competition, and the last time walking the hallways of high school. Each of these can be bittersweet, but it’s cool to embrace that we’re doing something for for the last time ever. For a lot of seniors I’ve talked to, they’ve said that this year was better than the first three by far. If this isn’t the case now, there’s still time left. Get ready to make these last few months the best time you’ve had here.                                      

Last months of familiarity

We’ve grown up around our classmates for most of our lives. When the last day of school hits it might be the last time you talk to many of your peers, and kids you’ve been going to school with since kindergarten. It’s crazy to think that everyone will be going their separate ways soon, so appreciate the people that you have grown up with these past years.

These are the last months that you’ll live in the town you’ve grown up in. The last months you get to have home cooked meals and your childhood friends five minutes away. I get it–for some of you this may seem like a great thing, but make sure you at least give it the appreciation it deserves, because you never know what you truly have until it’s gone.

Being a senior

Remember the feeling of walking into the first day of senior year and finally getting to be the oldest, biggest people in the school? Appreciate the feeling of superiority because once we graduate we’ll be back on the bottom of the food chain.

Free education and teachers that care about you

Yeah, this is the last year of not having to pay to go to school. Take advantage of printing paper for free, using computers provided by the school, and not having to pay $500 for a class. On top of this, the teachers here care about their students so much, and it’s not because they’re getting paid a lot. If you end up going to college, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of students in a lecture hall. Often professors don’t even know the names of their students. Even if they’re not your favorite, enjoy the teachers you have here.

College is for adulting

Of course every high school student has some variation of responsibility, but embrace the time you still have left as a kid. College is for growing up and finding what you really want to do with your future. Appreciate the time you have right now because you’ll miss it one day.

Also don’t let yourself peak in high school

Along with everything in life, high school is what you make out of it. Embrace the “lasts” and enjoy the time you have left to the fullest, because we’re not going to get these moments back. Go to school events like games, prom, and the musical. Make sure you take time to appreciate your teachers, and spend time with the people you may not regularly talk to. Enjoy the remaining time but don’t let high school be your peak.There are still many great years ahead of us. Get excited for the time that’s coming.