It's that time! The time you have waited for since Freshman year: YOU ARE GRADUATING! Congratulations! Senior year can be such an amazing time... but it can also be a very stressful year. Major decisions need to be made: are you going to college? If so, where? Also, the minor decisions: am I going to prom? Do I want a date? And all the extra things that come with those questions. As weird as it sounds, enjoy all those moments! This is your last year before you take that final leap into adulthood. Also remember that stress you are feeling right now is not something you are going to feel down the road. Here are a few things I wished I had truly realized when my senior year came around.

Your grade is NOT a definition of who you are. Growing up, I was fortunate to have a dad who always reminded me that as long as I tried my best, that was all I could do. If I passed, great! If I did not pass that test or homework assignment, then I would try to do better next time and know that I tried the best I could on that particular section. Are grades important? Yea, BUT only to a certain extent. That "F" you got on that test in that class does not mean you are a bad student. All it means is you are human and struggled. Do not let one "F" get you down. Keep your head up and know you tried your hardest. Also, never compare your grades to someone else's, it does not help: I promise! At graduation when you are accepting that diploma that you have been waiting for, they are not going to bring up that bad grade, they will look at you, hand you the paper, smile after calling your name.

If you decide to go to college, pick the college YOU want! Again, remember this is your life, meaning you have to handle the choices you make. If you do not want to go to college, tell someone because honestly college is too expensive to go to and NOT want to be there. And, if you do want to go, make sure YOU are the one choosing the college. I mean it is not bad to get other's opinions but in the end, it is your choice on where you go and call home. Find the college you feel you belong to... not the one your friend is going to go to.

Talk to your teachers! I cannot stress this enough! If you are struggling in a class, talk to your teachers. It is why they are there. Trust me, I know it can be stressful but it will benefit you so much more in the end if you just talk to them and ask them for help.

Do not stress about Prom. Prom night is not supposed to be stressful, it should be a fun and relaxed night! If you do not have a date, do not worry. Friends are always an awesome way to go. Go, dance, laugh, cherish those last few memories with your friends. Honestly, one of my fondest memories was going to prom with friends and dancing and laughing. Prom is not about who gets to be Prom Queen and King, no matter how much it seems like it is. Prom Queen and King is just a label to people get to wear for the night, maybe the rest of the year. Should its fun, but you are not going to look back in the future and think Man I wished I had strived harder to become King or Queen. Instead, you should think Man I had so much fun at Prom, that dancing was crazy!

Most of all: HAVE FUN! This is literally your last year of high school. After this year you step into the big world! Senior year is such a fun time when you take a moment to breathe and close your eyes. You have your friends by your side and nothing else can beat that. This is your last year walking through those high school's doors, and when graduation day comes, you will look back on your last year and see how far you have come.

As this year goes on remember that you have our friends and family, by your side and you are unstoppable! So take that deep breath and get that diploma that you have worked too hard for to let stress stop you now! Remember: that bad grade is just that- a bad grade. Prom is a fun night. And most of all Senior Year is a year to show everyone how far you have come and everything you have achieved.