Dear High School Seniors,

Well, this is it. You made it to the second semester of your senior year! Isn’t the feeling great? You’re almost there! You are probably in a state between wanting to get out of high school and wondering where the time went. You’re also probably stressing about college acceptances, AP and IB exams, who your date is going to be for the senior prom, or what you are going to write in your best friends yearbook. Believe me, I was in this state of panic and excitement last year. But if there is one piece of advice I can offer you, it would be to slow down, enjoy the little moments high school has to offer, because before you know it, you are going to be sitting on a field in cap and gown.

I don’t mean to sound like the cliche, wise college student. Because let’s be honest, I am only one year older than you and still trying to 〜adult〜. But when it comes to being a former high school student, I know a thing or two about wanting to leave so badly. I remember always telling my friends and family “I can’t wait to get out of this town!” but deep down I knew that I would miss the only place I knew. If there is one thing I regret, it is wishing for time in high school to end. Thinking back, I realize that I missed out on the small moments like pep rally or the basketball games. In reality, they weren’t just events, but they were one of the last chances I was going to be with the people with whom I grew up.

The first piece of advice I am going to offer you is not to worry about anything. As crazy as this may seem, everything will fall into place. You may not end up in the college of your dreams, but you will definitely end up where you are meant to be. Take it from a person who got rejected from two of her dream schools but still ended up in a place where she is the happiest she has ever been. As for prom and every other senior stress, all I can say is just have fun.

The other best piece of advice I can offer you to you right now, is to enjoy the little moments that you have left in high school. Don’t sit in your room watching Netflix because to be completely honest, Netflix will always be there. But instead, go to the local diner with your friends, skip school and go to the beach on the warm days, but most importantly, take lots of pictures! I can’t stress enough how much a picture can be worth in your few months of college. Everyday I scroll through the ridiculous pictures my friends and I took during my final nights in New York. I can’t help but smile, laugh and cry because those are probably the best memories I have from high school.

College is great once you get adjusted. Trust me, I am loving every minute of it because I fell in love with my school and I met some of my best friends in college, but nothing compares to the time you have and the memories you make with the people you grew up with. Believe me when I say this, college is a whole different story. You are no longer the big fish of the pond but instead you become the little guppy. Nobody cares that you were the captain of the cheerleading squad, or the dance team, or that you won first place in a competition. So enjoy it now and seize every moment that you have. Go to that last football game of the season, go to the school play, or ask your crush of eight years to the senior prom. Whatever the moment may be, seize it. Senior year is all about facing the fears and experiencing the firsts. You find out how close you are with some, and how far away you are from others. But you will look back at it and remember it forever. So now is your time to enjoy the last few months of high school.

Sincerely,

A Second Semester Freshman