Dear 2nd Semester Seniors,

At this point you're probably counting down the weeks, if not days until graduation. I know, it seems like it’s a long way off. Believe me, it’ll go by in the blink of an eye. Here’s what to expect your 2nd semester:

Senioritis is legit. You might have already experienced it, but if not don't try and fight it. You might also tell yourself you’re not the type of person to get senioritis, but you will. The best thing you can do is just push through the next few months and expect something out of yourself. Accept that you have no motivation and figure out a way to successfully finish the semester. The excitement of almost leaving is real, but don’t let the fact that you’re almost graduated cause you to give up. Your teachers are giving you the work because they have to, not because they just want to. They have senioritis too and truly don’t want to grade any more work. Well, at least that’s what I’ve heard.

If you didn’t get accepted into your top choice college, it will be OK. It may seem like the end of the world but in reality, it just wasn’t meant to be. Open your mind to the other schools you applied to, there's a reason you applied to them. Not getting into my top school was hard on me, but now I’m incredibly happy about where I ended up! I can’t see myself anywhere else. If you end up somewhere that wasn’t your top choice and you still want to go there, remember there is such thing as transferring.

Don’t let someone else decide where you’re going. It's not their decision to make, even if they really want you to go there (family members, we're talking about you). Also, don’t decide on a school because of a relationship or a friendship. College is the place where you truly find yourself and discover more people that you wouldn’t ever think were out there. You and your best friend or boyfriend may have gotten into the same college, but don’t let that be your deciding factor. Decide on what college you want to attend for you, and only you.

Don’t let your excitement of graduation get in the way of your last high school experiences. I was so excited to get out of the school I called prison, but I didn’t realize that I was actually going to miss it. Now that I'm no longer go there, I realize how much I truly loved it. College is a great experience but now that I’m making the best out of it, I really wish that I had done it with high school. Senior year is rough and it’s your final shot at making the best of it. Soak up all the time you have with your friends because before you know it, you might be across the country from each other. It’s understandable to be excited to get out and graduate, but don’t block the great experiences that come before.

I hate to break it to you, but plan on experiencing an emotional rollercoaster with your friends once you graduate or leave for college. Don't plan on keeping your friends extremely close. Once you leave, it’s the time you find out if the friendship was true or not. If they are true friendships, they will always be there but it might be hard at times. You might not talk to your friends every day but once you are reunited, it won't be hard to pick up where you had left off. Also, be OK with your best friend finding a new best friend. Friendships are difficult to keep through college because let's be honest, people get jealous and don’t want to feel like they are being replaced. Don’t end all of your friendships because you’re expecting to make new friends. But remember that friendship is a two-way street and both people have to be putting in effort in order to keep the bond. In reality, it’s like a long distance relationship, but I promise you can get through it.

This may seem like a list of things not to do, but looking back it’s what I wish I would have known when I was almost done with high school. I had heard that graduation and my last semester of high school was going to be the best time of my life. For me it was really hard because I had no idea what to expect. Good luck, keep your grades up, and don’t worry if things seem like they may not be going to way you want them to.

Sincerely,

A College Freshman