Dear seniors in high school,

I know you've heard it before, but I am going to say it again: If you blink, you'll miss your senior year. I just recently began my freshman year of college. Sometimes I sit back and think 'Wow, I am so glad I am in college!' Other days, I cannot believe I actually made it this far. It seems like yesterday I was walking into the halls of my high school for my first day of what some call "the best year of your life". I longed for the day that I would walk across the stage to receive my diploma while my family cheered in the crowd. As I reflect on my senior year, there are a few things that I realize you need to take special consideration of as you go through the upcoming months.

Care about your grades. Like most seniors, I walked into my first day with my iPhone, charger, and a pencil. Senioritis is real, and it hits hard. It's so easy to slack off and not care. You've put in three full years of honors and AP classes, taking the ACT too many times (ask me how many times I took it), and trying your best to get a 4.0 GPA. Do not ruin those years of hard work because you no longer care. A class your senior year may drop your GPA down, thus taking away valuable scholarships you'll desperately need.

Cherish your friends. I attend college out of town while most of my friends stayed home or went to schools in other towns. I haven't seen most of them in over a month. I don't say that to scare you. I say that so you will truly enjoy every moment you get with them. Go out to dinner together. Take pictures every chance you get. Spend time together rather than only texting one another. You will truly miss them when you're away. When you get to school and you don't know anyone, you'll want to think back of all the fun times you shared together and you slowly start the process of making new friends.

Participate in as many school events as you can. Dress up for spirit week. Go to sporting events and cheer in the student section. Join a club to explore your passions and make friends who share your passions. College has some great opportunities to further your interests, but participating in high school will make your senior year fantastic and possibly lead to you finding a career choice.

Forgive and forget. This is huge. Obviously, you're not going to get along with every single person in your school. There were a few people I didn't get along with during my high school career. I made it a point during my senior year to put the past behind and leave with a clear conscience. Looking back, I have no regrets.

Personally, this is the most important part of senior year (other than grades, of course): be grateful for your parents. Our parents do so much for us. They do our laundry, make our dinner, and cheer us on when life sucks. The discipline us when we've disobeyed them, yet praise us when we've made them proud. The day I moved into my dorm room I hugged my parents as I cried, realizing my family's dynamics were going to change. I had to do my own laundry. I had to remind myself to get dinner. I didn't have a cheerleader when I came back to my dorm after class with an A+ on a quiz. No one was there to scold me for making bad choices or praise me for being good that day. My parents played a huge role in my life and I didn't even realize it until I was gone.

So, as you go through the next few months, take advantage of every opportunity presented to you. Make great choices. Capture the moments you'll want to remember, no matter how ugly or sad they may seem to be. Don't worry about fitting in. Be you, be bold, be beautiful. Senior year is the fastest year of your life, so hold on and enjoy the ride.