Around this time last year, I had only a few weeks left of high school. I had a countdown that I made on the first day of senior year, and I would look at it every morning wishing graduation would come faster. It's not that I didn't like high school, because I did, but by the time I was a senior, I think I had just out-grown high school. I was ready for something new in my life, something bigger, which I believed college would give to me. But on this particular morning, when I realized I only had a month left, I remember feeling sad. I don't think I was sad about leaving, I was so ready for that. I was more sad about how much my life was about to change within the next three or four months.
When second semester rolled around, I had a total of five months left. I spent that time doing whatever seniors in high school do: savoring time with friends that were going to different colleges, figuring out roommate stuff for next year, and trying to pass along the days so that graduation would come faster. The most important thing that I forgot to do, which I believe most seniors fall victim to, is to live in the moment.
Four years of high school flew by. Sure, days and weeks dragged, but by the time summer break rolled around each year, it was kind of shocking. Time has a funny way of sneaking up on you. What I realized after I graduated, was that I was only going to be in high school once. Four years may seem like a long time, but in comparison to your life, it's barely a fraction of it. There was no reason for me to be in a rush to graduate because, it is something I'll never experiencing again.
So I guess I kind of regret the mindset that I had my senior year, and actually most of the years I spent in high school. We all tend to spend a lot of time saying “wow, I can't wait to get out of here", “I can't wait for college", etc. But in reality, you can wait. College, or whatever you do after high school, will inevitably come, so there's no point in only focusing on your future. I think this is something that high schools drills in our heads, without realizing the consequences. From the start of freshman year, we learn all about colleges and things you can do after high school. Our high schools teach us this every single year, and although it's great, our high schools never teach us how to live in the present. They just focus on our futures.
If you're a second semester senior, an incoming senior in high school or even just a high schooler in general, don't rush high school. High school really can be a great experience for anyone who tries to make it that way. Yes, school sucks sometimes, I can totally relate to that, but I also think that it's up to you to turn that experience around into something that you find meaningful. High school is a great place to make connections, get involved in activities that you can do later on in college, and just to live life.
In high school, you're living with your family who probably provides you with food, shelter, and love. You don't have to worry about bills, roommates, or student loans. High school is your time to live, and be “somewhat" stress free (being realistic, you will be stressed, but I promise the stress you have now will only magnify later on, when you graduate). Take advantage of this time in your life. And stop counting down the days until graduation. It will come.
