To the 12th grade kid who is ready to graduate,

This is it! You’re finally the top dog of the school, and you can’t wait to put on your cap and gown and waltz out of the front gates for the last time…but slow down. Before you know it, you are going to be sitting in your college’s library and writing an article about high school (haha, A.K.A me).

College applications, rallies and food runs with your friends will dominate the majority of your last year of free education. Let’s be very clear, though. Senioritis is so real. You’re going to feel like grades don’t matter after December passes, but don’t forget that your college can rescind you if you receive poor grades during senior year. Senioritis can also affect you outside of your academics. Make sure you are working extra hard if you are involved in sports or extracurriculars!

Don’t take a single day of this year for granted. This year is going to hold a lot of “lasts”: Your last homecoming game, your last club meeting, your last sports practice, your last rally. Teachers, coaches and friends will be saying goodbye to you at your graduation party in just a matter of months. This is your last year of familiarity. After you walk across that stage and receive your diploma, it’s back to square one. You won’t have a go-to teacher when you’re having a bad day. Your group of best friends will either be staying in high school or going off to college, just like you. The odds are that you will have to start from scratch–new friendships, new surroundings and new teachers (actually, professors now) to form relationships with. Be grateful for what you’ve known for the past four years, because soon enough, it’s all going to change.