We spend a large portion of our lives in school. Sometimes we love it, sometimes we hate it, but no matter what your high school experience has been, everyone is counting down until graduation. Graduation is a big deal. It’s your first taste of true freedom and independence—and let’s be real, what teenager isn’t looking for a little more independence? It’s a celebration of surviving the craziness that is the American education school system, and it’s the last time you and everyone in your graduating class will be together all at once. It’s exciting, terrifying, awesome, and sobering all at the same time. Graduating seniors, you’re at an interesting point in your life right now. Here are some things I wish someone had told me at this time last year.

1. Enjoy the time you have left.

Ironically, lots of people told me this when I was graduating. I’m not going to lie, I had a great time in high school. But even though I loved my time there, I was chomping at the bit to get out. But (and I know you’ll roll your eyes when you read this) I wish that I hadn’t been in such a hurry. I had a fun time at my prom, and on my senior trip, and at my senior picnic, but I think that if I slowed down and made sure to enjoy them as much as I could, they would’ve been even better.

2. Get ready for a new kind of friendship, and to lose a few friends along the way.

In high school, you see the same people every day. Many of them you’ve been going to school with for years. This can be a blessing or curse, but one of the best parts of high school is being around your best friends all the time. You all have fairly similar schedules, get to eat lunch together, hang out on weekends, and know exactly what’s going on in each others’ lives every day.

In college it’s not like that. You won’t see your friends for months on end. You won’t know what their day to day life is like, and won’t get to talk to them as much as you would like. You’ll have to work harder to maintain your friendships, and some of your friendships will fade away. It’s not a good or bad thing—people grow up and grow apart sometimes—but if you’re meant to be friends, you’ll stay friends.

3. Don’t be afraid of new experiences.

After graduation, you’ll be bombarded with new experiences. Whether it’s college or going into the workplace, both come with new expectations, rules, and events. Things will change fast, and in bigger ways than they ever did between years of school. Embrace the changes and enjoy the ride. You finally have a little free reign in your own life—take advantage of it.

4. You’re still a kid, though, and that’s okay.

In the United States, once you turn 18, you’re legally an adult. But I’ll be real with you, I’ve been an adult for a year and a half at this point, and I still spend time watching Disney movies in my underwear with a CapriSun in one hand and a bag of gummy worms in the other. I don’t know how to pay a mortgage yet and sometimes I call my mom when I have to make big decisions.

And it’s okay. No one expects you to be a pro at "adulting" as soon as you cross that stage and get a diploma. If I’m being honest, I don’t think anyone is a pro at being an adult. I think we all just have to wing it and see where we land.

5. Go your own way.

Right now, everyone is talking about their plans for their lives all the time. Where they want to go, what they want to do, how they’re going to get there. If you don’t have a plan nailed down, don’t worry. Take time figuring out what you need to do. It’s your life, so you have to make your own decisions.

6. Don’t compare yourself to others.

It’s also a pretty competitive time. Final class ranks are coming out, people want to know who’s going to the best colleges, and it’s easy to get caught up in the competition of it all. But in the end, what others do doesn’t affect you. Where you go to school, what you study, and how much money you may make in the future doesn’t matter. Any of those things could change. What matters is what you do and the decisions you make for yourself.

So enjoy the time you have left in school, and be excited for the great things that are coming your way. Take advantage of your newfound independence and don’t waste the time that you still have with your friends at home.

Oh, and congratulations. You earned this.