A year ago, I was in your shoes and I know exactly what you’re thinking, it goes a little something like “I can’t wait for college”. You go to your high school classes every day and wish that you could be at college already. You should be excited for college and all the exciting things ahead of you but before you wish away your senior year here are a few things to remember.

Senior year of high school has an indescribable feeling. It will fly by in the blink of an eye and before you know it, you’ll be moving into college. My advice as a second semester college freshmen, enjoy every second. Make new friends and keep your old ones close, join the club you have always wanted to and make the most of every day.

Nothing will ever be like it is right now. High school is the last time you will know every single person in your grade and they will all know you. This does not sound crazy now but you will realize how it is once you move on campus in the fall. Walking into school in the morning with that comforting feeling of knowing everyone and all your teachers will eventually go away and it will turn into walking into giant lecture halls of 300 people. Having your set parking spot in the lot where all the seniors hangout after school will come to an end and one day you’ll find yourself home from college driving by your high school to see that someone new now has “your spot”. Friday night lights will pass by in the blink of an eye, so enjoy every single game. Get decked out in your school’s colors and stand in the student section. Appreciate homecoming and pep rally’s because soon enough they will all be memories. Drive around town aimlessly with your friends blasting music, I promise you’ll make some of your best memories that way. Go to the basketball games or the school play. Attend your school’s charity events and get involved. Enjoy prom. I can’t stress this enough. Buy a dress that makes you feel beautiful and have the best night of your life, because prom is something you’ll never get again. Go on your senior trip, you’ll regret it if you don’t. Lastly, take tons and tons of pictures. You’ll want to be able to look back when you’re missing it all. College is an amazing time of your life because you will have the best times and make new lifelong best friends but, you will never get high school back.

As you get older, years go by faster and faster. Things will never be as simple as they are now. So, live it up, enjoy your high school events, and make the most of the days you have left. College will be here before you know it and yes, college is an amazing time of your life but the two are not the same.