To all the current High School Seniors,

Senior year will be hands down your greatest year. You’re at the top of the pyramid now. The top of the food chain. The young ones are looking up to you for guidance. It’s your turn to make the year yours.

So relax. Kick your feet up on the coffee table and take a breather.

No more SAT’s. No more standardized testing. Hell, you probably already know exactly which college you’re going to or are just waiting for your acceptance letter.

So pop back the top of a soda and watch the juniors continue to fret and struggle. You paid your dues.

This is the time when you get to reflect as you finish up high school. It is only now that you realize how young the freshman look. And it’s crazy to think that you were once one. Remember all the good times and cherish those memories. It is only when you sit down and look back that you realize just how far you’ve come. All the late nighters, big tests, finals, and projects.

Remember those times that made you feel alive. When your team won color war. Or when you whipped into the student parking lot and made it to your first class with one minute to spare. Turning in that paper you worked so hard on and not having to worry about it anymore. Being under the stadium lights as you cheer on the football team. Gaining the courage to speak to your crush.

It’s the little things that you don’t think twice about until it’s too late.

Not waking up at the ass crack of dawn. That part we can gladly live without.

Prepare yourself, however, for things to change once you take off the cap and gown. Expect friendships to fade. Try your best to become great friends with distance because that is what college creates once the semester begins. But don’t be afraid to make the first move and give your friends a call.

I always laugh at what I did with my friends in high school. The after school activities, the late night Wawa runs. I can’t emphasize enough that the little moments mean the most. Once you step outside of that bubble the world is put into an entirely new perspective.

To get the most out of your final year—your last hoorah—here is what I highly suggest:

- Get involved in as many activities as possible

- Say hello to all your classmates

- Take advantage of every opportunity

- Laugh a little more, stress a little less

- End the year on a positive note

I miss my high school days now that I’m in college. My advice to you is to live it up and enjoy. Go to prom, kiss your crush, and stay up late on a school night.

Most of all, wear that cap and gown proudly. You deserve it.

All the best,

Victoria