To the graduating high school senior/soon to be incoming class of 2020,
Congratulations. You are almost a college kid. You’ve probably spent lots of time daydreaming about that first taste of freedom and not having a curfew. While these things are great and all, you need to remember that you still have a month of high school and an entire summer to enjoy before coming to this awkward not-the-actual-real-world-but-you’re-actually-on-your-own-now thing called college.
I’ve had first hand experience of senioritis, and trust me, I know it’s real. Therefore I know how lazy you are. So I’ve condensed this letter into 10 words of advice that I wish I had been told before rushing to get to college.
Don’t blink. Seriously. The expression “time flies” is cliché for a reason. I wish I hadn’t taken my last months of high school for granted. You will miss it.
Enjoy your “lasts” to the fullest. Your last team event — whether it’s band, football, track or dance. Your last prom — this may be the last night you will ever get to spend with that entire group of people. Your last test — this will be the last time you can get by with a passing grade without studying. (not trying to be funny, seriously enjoy that. College exams are not easy).
Be intentional with your friendships. Have real conversations with your friends; don’t just hang around them for the “fun” of it. Get to know their hearts before they move hundreds of miles away from you.
Thank your teachers. They actually care about your grades and your life outside of school. In college, half of your professors will not know you by your first name. To them, you will be just another face in the crowd. The teachers you have now are so caring — make sure they know it.
Go out of your way to say to say hi to people you have never talked to before. Smile at strangers in the hallway. Kindness goes a long way, and this world needs more of it.
Appreciate your family. Hug your parents and tell them you love them as much as you can. Embrace these last few times that your mom does your laundry or your dad cooks you breakfast. Talk with your siblings about their lives. Spend quality time with your family and be present when you’re with them. I guarantee this is what you will miss more than anything when you get to college.
Realize that your bed, kitchen and toilet are all valuable assets. In college, you will be sitting on a stiff bed that’s too small for you eating your seventh bowl of ramen noodles for the week in a t-shirt that’s been worn for the past three days in a row. The toilet you get to use at home is yours and only yours, but in college, it’s rare to find a toilet seat that isn’t still warm from the person in front of you (TMI — I’m aware — but this needs to be known).
Pet your dogs. And if you’re a cat person, pet your cats too. You will miss them so much.Take them for walks, cuddle with them and let them lick you when you get home from school.
Mend broken relationships. Drama happens in high school. Grudges form. Don’t take these into the future with you; all that does is leaves you with guilt and grief from the past. Verbally forgive the people who have hurt you and ask for forgiveness from those you have hurt. It doesn’t mean you have to be friends with this person ever again, but it will free you from the chains you have carried with you for so long. Mend these relationships before it is too late. Life is so short.
Lastly, attend school events. Just because you are almost graduated, you are not “too cool for high school" anymore. Go to the school plays, support your friends while they do what they love. Yell your head off at the last few baseball games. This is your school and your team. Leave your mark here. Make this place great. You will regret not going to these events someday, I promise.
Well, seniors, I hope this encourages you to live in the present. Your whole world is going to change before you turn around, so please take these words to heart. I wish I could have. Don’t be discouraged though because after you embrace these last few moments of life as you now know it, up next is what’s going to be the most pivotal year of your whole entire life.
