High school seniors, you’ve finally made it. You’re on the final stretch. In a few months, you’ll graduate and be off to the “real world.”

Here’s a reminder to relax and take a deep breath. Allow yourself to enjoy the time you have left with your fellow classmates.

I couldn’t wait to graduate and start college. It’s OK for you to be extremely excited; it’s natural to want to move on. But make sure you’re taking the time to appreciate your friends and your hometown. If you’re like me and are going to a college out of state, chances are, no one is from your hometown or even has a clue where your town (or state) is on the map. It’s extremely humbling and it made me appreciate my friends from back home even more. No matter where I go and the new friends I make along the way, I know some of my high school friends and I will always be there for each other. Don’t start cutting your best friends out of your life because you’re starting a new chapter in your life.

You’re probably currently stressing over prom plans, trying to make your last few months of senior year perfect. Don’t. Let everything go with the flow. It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do, it’s who you’re doing it with. I promise, you’ll have an amazing time if you’re with your best friends. Instead of getting worked up over every detail, you won’t have time to appreciate anything. Prom was an awesome experience, but it wasn’t the best time of my life. It was fun dressing up and hanging out with friends, but it won’t be a night I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I won’t rave about my experience to everyone you meet. Chances are, you won’t either. It’s okay. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll have a ton of fun, and you should try to enjoy and soak up every minute you’re there.

After prom, the only thing standing between you and freedom is AP exams, finals, and graduation. Take your AP exams, and take them seriously. Make sure you know what you need in order to get credit for your college. Thanks to AP credits and doing well on my placement exams, I’m on track to graduate an entire semester early. I only need to take three classes over the course of the next two summers in order to graduate an entire year early. The few hundred dollars I spent on the exams I took will save me tens of thousands of dollars in the long run. So AP exams are no joke. Study hard for your AP exams, and the finals will be a piece of cake. Your teachers will also probably go easy on you and make finals easy since you’re seniors and you’re about to graduate.

Graduation day is a surreal experience. It won’t hit you until a few weeks later that you’ll never step foot in those halls ever again. During the day, you’ll just go through the motions excitedly, but it doesn’t quite sink in. It is bizarre sitting in the auditorium/field house surrounded by hundreds of people you might never see again. I’m sure you’ll see some faces you’ve never seen before if you went to a large high school. This day is mostly for you and your family. They can’t wait to celebrate your accomplishments. They’re going to shower you with congratulations, encouragements, praise, and gifts. Let them.

Hang out with your friends and family as much as you possibly can over the summer. Make new memories. Have an amazing time. Go to as many graduation parties as you can. They all seem to blend together, but seriously, go. Eat as many home-cooked meals as possible, but don’t forget to eat at your favorite restaurants, too. Hang out with your parents. Explore your town. Soak it all in. In a few months, you’ll be dropped off in a small room you have to share with another person (or a few people). It’s scary, but having pictures and the memories from your summer make it easier. It also makes it that much easier to go home. Knowing you have incredible people to go home to makes the first few weeks bearable.

It’s OK to be scared. Going to college, whether 30 minutes or 12 hours away, is frightening as hell. It should be. If you’re not emotional about it, you’re not human. You’ll be in a new town filled with thousands of people you’ve never met, but try your best to embrace it. Go out in your hall and socialize. Go up to other floors and meet new people. The people you meet may not be your future best friends, but you may end up meeting some people you’ll spend the next few years with. Make it a point to get to know your professors. Go to office hours, even if you don’t need help in the class. They can give great advice about your future and future classes you may take.

College is exciting. You have the chance to reinvent yourself and find out your true likes and dislikes. You can join clubs that interest you and meet people who are incredibly similar to yourself. This is your chance to find out who you truly are. No one will carry your high school reputation –whether good or bad –over your head. Get to know as many people as you can. Put yourself out there.

As much as you’ll love your school, it’s okay to miss home. It’s okay to countdown the days until your next break. It doesn’t mean you don’t love your school, it just means you appreciate the time at home with your family. It’s a weird experience. College begins to feel like home. It’s okay to refer to it as home. Your mom won’t get upset. She’ll probably be proud you found somewhere you love enough to make it a home.

So seniors, enjoy these last few months at home. Make as many lasting memories as possible. Time will fly by. Before you know it, you’ll be packing up the car to head to your new home wondering where time went.