This is it. Your time has finally come. Top of the food chain, first prioritized, your own personal High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
A little under a year ago I knew precisely how you felt. Ecstatic, prepared, and maybe a little nostalgic. You want to see your past 3 years of endless work paying off. The perfect senior schedule that you finally get to customize to fit your desired area of future study. You will most likely be taking the most amount of AP classes that you have thus far, or perhaps you wanted to destress yourself and keep a low maintenance course load. Either way, you know you must conquer your classes to maintain that GPA. Let’s not forget about arguably the most stressful part of first semester: college applications. People constantly asking you, “Have you chosen a major yet?”, “Do you want to travel far or remain in state?”, “Big ten or private school?”, “Well, how many scholarships have you applied to this far?” The time to kiss up to your favorite teachers to write killer recommendation letters. The time to add every possible activity or volunteer work onto your resume. You will most likely spend more time in your counselors office first semester of your senior year than you have the past 3 years combined. Sleep will likely decrease while stress notably increases. Mental breakdowns will come in various doses.
While balancing your academics, college apps, social life and health may seem an impossible task, I want you to know that you will survive. Hell, you will thrive. The hard work and endless research will all be worth it once you find a major you can envision yourself loving. Loving to learn, loving to appreciate, loving to pursue. Have safety and reach schools, and if you happen to differ or denied from the one university you thought you desired most, ponder that it simply was not meant to be. You will end up where you belong, eventually. Learn how to cope healthily with stress. Go on walks, runs, do yoga, read a novel, take a nap, vent to your friends who are most likely facing the very same struggles. Do not feel any need to penalize yourself for being unsure of your destination. This is coming from the girl who had officially committed to her institute a little over a week before May 1st. Now, here I am a little over a week before move-in day, and I could not be more satisfied and proud.
Most importantly, allow yourself to enjoy your senior year too. Spend as much time with your best friends as you can, and meet new humans too. Go out on a school night every now and then, see your favorite band, drive down to the beach to watch the sunset, and let those closest to you know how much they mean. Right now, the thought of not going to the same school as your besties may appear surreal, but before you know it, everybody will be scattered around the country venturing upon the next chapter of their lives. I know it does not hit you now, but believe me, you will thank yourself for making the most of your time when it does. Your last homecoming dance, your last final, your last performance, your last game, your last AP exam, your last prom, all up until your last stroll across the high school gym. Diploma in hand, Stuart Rodgers photograph captured, cap tossed with pride, in the blink of an eye, it will all be over. Indulge yourself in as much happiness as you can now, so that when your time comes, you will not be sad in any regard.
Best of luck to you, class of 2017. May the force be with you.
