Dear Class of 2017,

As summer comes to an end, you will all soon realize the fun is only beginning. Yes, of course, you have all these college applications to do and essays to write, but it will end soon enough. You will constantly think, "when does this all end?" and "how much longer will I have to deal with the same routine?" Flash forward a couple months and these thoughts will turn into the reality that you are leaving this town and basically everyone in it. Coming from someone who wasn't the biggest fan of high school, writing this is a big deal for me.

Senior year to me was just another thing I had to get through. I've practically felt ready for college since the end of freshman year. Little did I know that some of the best memories would come from this year that ends it all. For people reading this from my town, we all know every senior just wants it to be June and go away down the shore for a week. Honestly, that week was amazing no matter what happened. However, somehow during senior year I felt like everyone finally broke out of their shell of feeling judged or embarrassed and just acted like their true selves. That is what senior year is really about.

Throughout high school, if I wasn't close with you, I probably seemed like the most awkward potato around. I would get embarrassed just by answering a silly question or being nervous about voicing my opinion. Start off your senior year differently. You won't see these people in a year and whether that makes you happy or sad, it is the truth. Be yourself and discover who is really going to be there for you after this year.

I know that every senior thinks that the school work is over, but trust me it is not. Between whatever math course you choose or that ridiculous AP class that you will soon regret ever taking, the work does not end for a while. Here's a tip: do well the first two marking periods. You don't want to be that person that fails a class and has to make it up during summer school. The work really isn't all that bad and it will become less throughout the year. Your teachers know that you are slowly giving up and trust me, so are they.

Be open to meeting new people. I met some of the funniest and nicest people my senior year and it makes me sad to think I didn't spend all of high school with them. You don't have to stick with your same small group of friends 24/7. Branch out and talk to new people.

Overall, this year is going to fly by. I still remember my first day of senior year and thinking "let's start the countdown for graduation!" I'm leaving for college in less than 20 days and as excited as I am, I'm weirdly going to miss the memories that senior year gave to me. Good luck 2017, make the best of it.

Love,

a soon to be freshman in college