To the seniors in high school,

I know it feels like your days are never ending. It feels like every assignment that you get in unfair and stupid. You probably feel like you've had "senioritis" since sophomore year. You're probably thinking that you've had enough of high school and that you can't wait to get out and start fresh. You feel like you'll never get away from your parents and you might even feel like they are controlling everything that you do. You're excited for all the new places and people and adventures that you're going to go on.

I can promise you that just about every senior before you has felt at least one of those things sometime during their senior year. Now is one of the most stressful times for you. You might still be waiting back to hear from your dream school. Pretty soon you are going to have to pick where you want to spend, ideally, the next four years of your life. You're probably nervous that you won't pick the right school, that you won't make any friends or that you won't find anyone like you. On top of all of these feelings, you constantly have people asking you where you are going to school and what you want to do. The stress of not knowing the answer to one, or even both, of those questions can, at times, be unbearably stressful. The only advice I can give is to take a deep breathe and push forward. No matter how slow it seems time is going, it is still going and all of this will be worth it.

Once you get back from spring break, the days are going to fly by. Take advantage of your last fews weeks and spend as much time with your friends and family as you can. I promise you, no matter how stressed you are, once you get to college you are most likely going to miss some aspect of high school. Take advantage of the easier tests and not falling a crazy about behind after missing one class. Once you get to college, it's a whole new ballpark. You are taught in college, in one class, the same amount of material you would be taught in a week in high school. So, missing one class really sets you behind. And if you thought the days after spring break up until graduation are going to go by quickly, summer is going to go by in the blink of an eye.

Take every advantage you have to hang out with your friends. Appreciate every time your mom does your laundry, because you'll miss it more than you realize when you have three weeks of dirty laundry piled up under your bed. Enjoy every home cooked meal you enjoy with your family, college food is nothing in comparison and it's no where near as healthy. Develop an exercise routine that you will be able to maintain once you get to school, the freshman 15 hits people very hard but if you have a plan you will be able to avoid it. Hug your parents extra tight because there will be nights, especially the first few that you're in school, where you will want nothing more than to be hugging them.

So, seniors, enjoy your last weeks as a high school students and enjoy your last months living with your family. Get excited for the next four, or so, years of your life because they are going to be amazing. College is where you make memories that will last your entire life and it's also where you meet the friends that you will keep for your entire life.

Don't freak out if you don't know what you want to do, odds are that the people who think they know, will end up changing their minds a few times. And hey, it's not the end of the world if the school you pick isn't the one for you. If you spend the first year there, or even the first semester, and you aren't happy, listen to that. That feeling is your body telling you that you need to be somewhere else. It's not a failure to transfer or take some time off. I consider it a failure if you ignore your body, and your gut, and stay in a situation that is bad for you. So, make sure the place you are at is the place that makes you the best you, the place that gets you excited and nervous at the same time and the place that you will miss when you are home over breaks. You are the only person who knows what you want and what you need. Don't feel pressure from anyone to go anywhere. The right school is waiting for you, and so are the right friends. Be patient and, as cheesy as it might sound--listen to your heart.

Sincerely,

A former senior who has been in your shoes