Dear Senior,
It's getting closer! You've made it halfway through the year, and graduation is so close you can almost hear "Pomp and Circumstance" playing in the back of your mind. With midterms completed and quarterly grades turned in, you're feeling exhausted. The SATs are finally over and with the applications submitted, you persistently check your mailbox each day after coming home from school. Will there be a new acceptance letter today? Will I be receiving an invitation to the scholarship luncheon from the school I want to attend?
The idea of college is finally becoming more realistic. You will be walking across the stage with your tassel swinging to receive your diploma in a few short months. Next thing you know, you'll be packing up your family car to head off to college! With all the upcoming decisions and preparations, you're probably feeling a little overwhelmed and anxious. But don't wish this time away; it's one of the best times of your life.
You might think that bigger and better things are ahead of you; you just have to make it through these next couple months –– just survive. But don't. Don't be a ghost, floating through the halls, robotically taking notes, your mind in a totally different place dreaming about what life will be like in a few months. Live in the present. Make memories with your friends. Go to the movies on the weekend, grab your best friend and go shopping for prom dresses or try out for your high school play. These are the days you can never get back.
Yes, college will be fun and you will have more freedom, but with freedom also comes responsibility. And more work. Lots of it! Enjoy your free time and friendships while you are home. And don't forget to spend time with your family! Yes, they will be a phone call away, but appreciate the little things. Your parents won't be there to hug you after a bad day when you're away at college. You won't be able to pick on your mom for burning the garlic bread, and one day you'll appreciate it when you're sick of eating cafeteria food!
So enjoy it. Embrace these chaotic last few months of high school. Don't wish them away –– you'll never get this time back.
