Dear Class of 2017,

Congratulations! You’ve *almost* made it through the four wonderfully treacherous years of high school. Graduation is a mere five months away, and while that may feel like an eternity, those five months will be the shortest of your high school career. Prepare to say goodbye to your classmates, because even if you think you won’t miss them, trust me--you will.

First off, don't stress if you aren't accepted into your top choice of university. You'll find the school that is a perfect fit for you, and that may not be your current top choice! It's not the end of the world if you don't get in, there are always other options. It's okay if you go to a school without knowing anyone; you'll meet new friends very easily. I'm currently at a school that I had no idea that I wanted to go to, and none of my high school friends attend, but I have absolutely fallen in love with it!

Don't forget about the importance of family. Your parents are coming to the realization that soon, you'll be officially an adult. Though it won't feel like it, you are about to have a whole new set of responsibilities. While graduating is a huge step in your life, it's an even bigger step for your parents. Don't be upset when they won't let you go out with your friends; surely they only want to spend time with you. Spend time with your siblings, goof off, watch movies, play games. I promise you, you'll miss the silly arguments, disagreements, and much more. Let your parents know how grateful you are, because soon you'll be dealing with an entirely new college experience. Let them know how much you'll love and miss them, because soon your relationship will come down to FaceTiming and phone calls. Enjoy all of the time left with your family.

Let the last five months be overfilled with love, laughter, and happiness instead of getting caught up in easily avoidable drama. Have a wonderful time at your final prom, enjoy your last pepfest, spring week, and the days leading up to graduation. Before you know it, you'll be walking across a stage accepting your diploma. While this is the first step of becoming independent, don't forget that you are allowed to still be a kid! Ladies, have as many sleepovers as possible; guys, play as many video games as you want. Go for late-night drives, stargaze, take a senior spring break trip! Be silly and enjoy the last moments left with your classmates.

My final piece of advice is to enjoy, not only moments left with your family and classmates, but also the little things about being a high schooler. Enjoy being able to watch a movie in your class, because that doesn't happen often in university classes. Enjoy home-cooked meals, because sometimes dining hall food just doesn't cut it. Enjoy snow days, because class will never be cancelled. Enjoy free textbooks, because they become very expensive.

Despite not watching movies, dining hall food, nosnow days, and expensive textbooks, college makes life so much better. I promise.

Sincerely,

A former high school senior