High school will always hold a special place in my heart for many reasons. The biggest reason is that it was consistent.

What does this mean?

High school was this place that was predictable and with any twist and turn that might be thrown my way, I could accurately predict the outcome of it. I was never surprised in high school, and I loved that because I hate surprises. I knew that I could handle every challenge that was presented to me.

On top of that, if there was a big challenge that I didn’t know how to handle, I could trust the people around me to help me. These people have been around me ever since I could remember, and my friends would have my back and catch me if I fall, as they have done in years prior.

I was allowed to test the limits and shoot for the stars in high school, and I had safety net in case I miserably failed. In college, my safety net is small and that’s because I am this brand-new environment where I don’t know everyone. In high school, I basically knew or knew of everyone.

In high school, I always felt safe. In college, feeling safe isn’t a feeling that I have on a daily basis.

Now, high school was not the easiest experience for me. I had a lot of rough times just like many other people. There were many times where I wished it would be over, but it was at the end of my senior year that I realized I am never going to have this experience again.

At the end of my senior year, I realized that for the first time I am going to be in a place where I don’t know everyone, and I have to start fresh. I found that to be horrifying. It made me realize everything that I was grateful for, and why I loved high school.

In high school, I had the same teachers for multiple years. If I didn’t have them, I knew them, and these teachers saw me grow up. Over time, I was able to build bonds with these people because I worked with them for so long.

In college, I don’t know any professors and none of them know me. I have to start from square 1 and recreate bonds for the first time in four years. Also, in college I don’t have to the ability to see these professors every day, unlike teachers where I saw them every day.

In high school, I would see my teachers in the hallways and I would wave to them. In college, I never tend to see my professors around campus.

In high school, I was spoiled with the most amazing teachers on the planet. I barely had to worry about a bad teacher. Also, all of my teachers were amazing people and they cared so much about their students.

In college, it’s hard to know to which professors are going to be good. It’s genuinely luck of the draw, and I want to have good luck.

As for students, I knew of or knew almost everyone in the halls. It was the same faces, and in college, I don’t see the same faces every day. It can lead me feeling of lost sometimes, even though I know where I am on campus.

I went from this small-medium sized high school, to this huge college. I went from 1,000 students to 20,000 students. You don’t need to be a mathematician to see that it is a huge gap.

Don’t get me wrong, I love college. I love being independent and having my own schedule. However sometimes, I miss the consistency of my town and I miss the people who I could count on. As a freshman, I lack that and as a person, I thrive with consistency.

To all high school seniors, first senioritis is real, but still put some effort in because colleges are still watching and also you should want to end your final year on a high note. Second, appreciate the rest of high school.

This will be the last time that you most likely see your friends on a daily basis. You might hundreds if not thousands of miles apart from your best friend. Communicating with them on a daily basis is going to be a challenge. Trust me.

Appreciate your friends, appreciate your teachers because all of them care about you. To seniors, appreciate that this is the last time in a long time that you will ever have “power” in a school.

As for the drama that is bound to happen; just know that in the big scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. Don’t burn bridges because someone has the same prom dress you, it’s not the end of the world. I can list a particular person that might be the end of the world, but let’s not get into politics.

Enjoy the rest of high school, your time is limited there. Be appreciative, grateful, and know that the drama is only temporary, whereas the friendships could last forever.

College is a whole new world that can overwhelming at times, so genuinely enjoy high school. All of you guys, will kill it though.