Scholarships, books, honors classes, college applications, graduation, open houses, money, goodbyes, changing expectations, jobs, friends, parents, stress, the best and worst year of our lives so far.

All of these are words that I have heard used to describe the experience that is the final year of everyone's high school education. Half of us can't wait to leave and get on with our lives, the other half can't imagine the idea of it finally being over. College applications are accompanied by tears, scholarships take forever, and everyone if fighting for those limited spots in the top ten. We have all chosen different paths whether it be a big university to purse a degree, a smaller four year college, a community college, the military, or heading straight into the work force. Although we may deny it or not show our emotions very well, no one is ready to leave quite yet. The friendly faces we see in the hallways, teachers who know our names, and the only comfort zone we've ever had. The feeling that even though school let out for the summer, we all knew we would be back next year was felt for the last time. All of us just trying to make it through one more year, but at the same time nervous for what the future has to hold.

Senior year is the "last first day", and basically an endless series of lasts. The last hometown high school homecoming, the last prom, the last round of districts on our own turf, the last year of not having an overwhelming amount of responsibilities, the year we are forced to truly find ourselves.

While I'm sure all of us are excited to get out into the real world, meet new people, do our own thing, and be the brokest we've ever been, a little part of all of us isn't ready to go and be completely different people.

Senior year has a lot of ups and down, tears and laughter, victories and failures ahead. I'm completely sure of it. But in the end, we all will have made it to the next chapter in our lives whatever that may be. Everything we've put into the last 12 years of our lives will all come together and matter when we walk across that stage as we turn the page of our own books.