My four years of high school flew by at the speed of light. I still remember being forced to play ice breaker games at orientation and being 25 minutes late to homeroom on my first day. I made lifelong friends, a few enemies and was nurtured by some of the best teachers there are. I laid the foundation for what would begin my journey through the jungle of higher education. My senior year was the most eventful, the most emotional and the year that ended the quickest. Here is some advice for the class of 2017, do not take it for granted. Do not be too ready to leave home and when your mom asks about how your day went, tell her. Here are five things to cherish during your last year in high school and some humble advice.
1. Sharing A Bathroom With Less Than 3 People.
You may share a bathroom at home with more than three people, but most of you only share it with one or two other people. I miss strong water pressure and shelves to put my products on (in college they go on the floor of the shower). I miss being able to shower barefoot and not having to carry everything I own in a plastic bin. I miss not having to worry if I remembered to bring my room key with me (getting locked out of your room in a robe or towel is not fun.) Cherish having your own bathroom, I share mine with 30 other women.
2. Air Conditioning.
I will forever be grateful to the wonderful person that invented air conditioning. Let me be the one to tell you, fans are of no comparison to air conditioning. A lot of college campuses do not have air conditioned freshman dorms, it's just a fact of life. Cherish your comfortable, spacious, air-conditioned bedroom.
3. Go To As Much As You Can.
Go to every home football game, even if your team hasn't won a game in years. It's the last time you'll be there as a student. Go to every dance, especially your senior prom. You will regret missing out on the iconic high school experiences if you don't partake in them. Hang out with your friends on the weekend and don't work too much.
4. Enjoy Being Spoon-fed While You Can.
I don't mean to demean high school classes, but college is way different. That three hours of homework you have will seem like a light day when you get into college. I know that in high school your spare time is close to zero and in college it is true that you have way more time to devote to your classes, but the lighter load is still a blessing in disguise.
5. Let Your Mom Take A First Day Of School Picture.
Let your mom take your picture on the first day of your senior year. Let her put in on Facebook so all of her friends can comment on how grown up you are. This is her last chance to do that.
Relish in the last days of your high school career. I know most of you have been waiting to graduate for years, let it pass as slow as the universe will allow.
