The biggest things that happen in your senior year happen in the last two months that you spend walking the halls of your school. I missed a big part of these senior events because I was in the hospital recovering from surgery and not being there for those “big senior year moments” is something I wish I would have gotten the chance to experience. I feel like I missed out on parts of the first major milestone in my life.

Your years in high school are ultimately the end of your childhood. As soon as you walk across the stage at graduation, the time comes for you to grow up and be kicked out into the big, scary world.

Getting ready the day of your graduation is bittersweet. You will spend the day getting ready with friends all reminiscing about everything up to that day. It will all flash before your eyes: all the years making memories and friends:

The outfits you wore for the football game themes and pep rallies.

All your seasons as an athlete.

You will spend time laughing at how dorky everyone was freshman year and how much the people you have been in school with since day one of kindergarten have grown and matured.

You’ll think back to when your football team made it to playoffs your senior year; you all rushed onto the field after the game to all proudly sing the school’s Alma Mater.

You will see your senior shirt hanging up in your closet and think about how proud you were to finally be a part of the class to wear it that year.

You will think back to all the school dances over the years: homecomings, formals and proms and how those won’t be a big deal like they were in high school once college starts.

You’ll laugh with all your friends about all the boys you liked and which ones broke your heart.

You will see your parents trying to hide their tears as they take their turns taking pictures with you in your cap and gown before the ceremony. A flood of emotions will hit you.

And then, you will think about the things you could’ve done differently in high school; how it really didn’t matter what brands you wore or what social group you were in. All that stuff only matters in high school because as soon as you all turn your tassels to the left side of your caps, it will all be behind you.

In that moment, you will think about how you could have spent your last year of high school differently- the “what ifs” that you could have done, but didn’t.

So here you are juniors, here are some words of wisdom on how to savor your next year in high school; here is some advice on how to do your senior year of high school right.

Dear High School Juniors,

It is finallyhere- the seniors are done for the year and you are now the top dogs at the school, and you feel like you are on top of the world. I know this because just two short years ago I was in your shoes.

You don't know what is yet to come for your senior year, but I do. All I will tell you is that your senior year will be all types of amazing.

You will have so many opportunities to make memories that will, as cliché as it is, last a lifetime. Your senior year is important because it is the end of your childhood, so it is important that you really do savor your last year in high school.

I can't tell you how many times I have looked back on my senior year now that I am in college and wished I would have done things differently in my last year of high school. I know what you’re thinking right now: “HA! How could I miss all the bullsh*t that is high school?” Well, to some extent you’re right- parts of high school won’t be missed, but it’s the parts you will miss that are important.

Your last year of high school should be spent making memories, not stressing over your class ranking, because to be completely honest unless you plan on attending an Ivy League college, your college really won’t give a shi*t if you dropped down to number 35 from 22. You will be okay. I’m not saying you should just stop caring about your grades altogether; I’m saying that in the long run, staying up until 5 am stressing about an AP Government test isn’t worth it. One bad test score does not mean you will fail overall. Losing your sanity and sleep over something so small in the long run of your entire senior year of high school just is not worth it.

So, care about your grades, but don’t stress over getting a B in AP Biology your first quarter, you have time to bring it up. Don’t stress too hard about the trivial things like that. Care about your grades and have fun. Go outside of your comfort zone and go to a Friday night football game. It’s your last year of high school football games and you might be surprised at how much you miss that in college, especially if your college doesn’t have a football team. Get involved in something you haven’t done before in high school: join prom committee, volunteer in the community, go to more school events, do something different.

Enjoy your senior year- and I mean really enjoy it. Savor every minute you spend time with your friends, in class, at events, and everything in-between. Make the most of the year you have left to enjoy all that because in the minutes that follow you receiving your diploma and turning your tassel to the left side of your cap, life as you know it will change forever. In the weeks that follow graduation your friends will slowly begin to leave for the military and move into their very own college dorms and before you know it, it’ll be your turn to move on beyond high school and your hometown. Enjoy every moment until you move into your college dorm. College is amazing, but it is a whole new type of amazing, it is different from the carefree days of high school. It will change you and mold you into a member of society; it is an entirely different book in the series of your life, so savor every moment you can because your senior year of high school is the last chapter in the book about your childhood.

Sincerely,

A College Freshman