Back to school commercials! Schedules coming out! Target's school supply section being crowded! It's that time of the year!
Mixed emotions about starting my last and final year. This year that I've been waiting for forever but never actually thought would come. As write this, I am two weeks into my senior year of high school. People ask me what grade I'm in and I still feel like I should respond with "freshman", mainly because reality has hit me. Just by starting my senior year I have learned and realized so many things about life. After the twelve years I have spent in the same town with the same people this last year has been very different to me. Here are a few things I've learned just by starting my last year in high school:
One of the first things that has struck me is about teachers. We grow up thinking that some teachers are the worst or maybe even the best. I have never fully appreciated my teachers until now. All this time they have been putting in their personal time, personal money and anything possible just to help us students. Some may think that they don't care for us or they don't care about their job but they wake up every morning earlier than us to come to school to help us. Not only are they there to teach us but to care for us like we are their children. Fully starting to realize this my senior year upsets me because the teachers I have had in the past didn't get as much credit as they deserved. So thank you teachers for being someone to go to or for being a friend. Out of the many teachers that have been there for us even we didn't know it: Thank you.
In high school you learn so much even if it doesn't have to do with school. You learn who your true friends are, you learn more about yourself, you learn your hobbies. People will always tell you high school will be the best time of your life and to enjoy it while you're still young. But for some of you all, high school may not be your time. Personally high school has been some of the toughest years of my life. Struggling with self esteem, grades, friends and more I wish for you all to just make the most of what you have. It may not be the best time of your life like others say but there will be some times you'll never forget. You may not enjoy every moment of it but I wish for you all to do what makes you happy. Again, upset because I'm only realizing this now, but one of my favorite quotes to live by is, "Do what makes you happy." This is so important to live by because who doesn't love living life happily? Find new hobbies, join new clubs, make new friends!!! Sometimes I wish I could relive my recent school years trying new things that would make me happy instead of being lazy and sticking to one hobby.
The last thing I have learned from starting my senior year is how much time out there is wasted. Thankful for a school that offers so many great electives but now that I'm a senior I only need a few classes for my credits to be fulfilled. Most of the school day I sit on my phone and do nothing, I always think about how I could be using this time to study for ACT, or prepare for college applications, or do some kind of internship. It has just now hit me how much time in school is used for learning and how much time is used to waste. I encourage you all next time when you finish the lesson early to pull out a book and read for fun, or learn a fun life skill or learn something new about yourself because I am pushing myself to do this too. Time wasted is time you'll never get back, so go do something special with your life.
I am still getting use to the fact that I'm a senior and that this time next year I will be planning a dorm room. Who knows where that dorm room will be, who knows what I want to do with my life, but I have time, right? High school has taught me a lot but I'm still trying to push myself into trying new things, getting out of my comfort zone and live life happily with no regrets.
And always remember, "Do what makes YOU happy!!".
