Dear Anxious High School Seniors,
Now that your midterms are over and you're in the second half of your school year, everything is going to start getting so real for you. To those of you already knowing where you are going to college, congrats! Remember the feeling of opening your acceptance letters. Remember the feeling of relief, excitement, anxiety, happiness and shock that went through your body all at one time. To those of you who haven't found out, good luck! Don't be too stressed, you have plenty of time. But to both of you, don't rush things.
I was in your place this time last year. I was waiting anxiously for graduation and the summer so that I could move into college. All I kept thinking was—I can't wait to be out of this place, only a couple more months, I can do this. I wouldn’t say that I have any regrets, but I do wish I appreciated that time at school just a little bit more.
If it has not already happened, you will be finishing up your last high school game for your respective sports. Most won't go on to play collegiate sports, so this will be the last time you step onto the field, the court, the rink in any sort of competitive manner. Enjoy it while it lasts. Your last season is the best—you make the most memories and watch the underclassmen who were once near incompetent grow into wonderful players, just as you had. Senior day will be emotional for you, your parents and your coaches.
Senioritis is real. And if it hasn’t already hit, it will be in full force after midterms end. Don't let senioritis get to you too much. You cannot fail your courses, but it is a common theme among seniors to let their grades dip a little. You can't give up completely, especially since your college of choice will ask for your end of the year grades.
Go out with your friends as much as possible. Be spontaneous. When you think back to your last months of high school, you won't remember the nights you stayed at home while your friends are out. Spontaneous trips to different places, going out for drives with your best friends or just hanging around in a basement will be the things that you remember the most.
In just a few short months, you will be in your cap and gowns, getting ready to walk across that stage to receive your diplomas that officially end your high school career. It doesn't really feel real though, not in that moment, and for most people, it doesn't feel real for a while after that. One of my favorite memories from my class was when we all drove out of the senior parking lot together for the last time. We may have not all been the closest of friends, but there was a moment where everything just felt so comfortable. It was a moment where we were ending our time together, but about to start a while new life for ourselves.
Don't rush these last months you have with the people you've grown up with.
