Being a senior in high school can be really tough sometimes. Not too long ago I remember sitting in my study hall filling out what seemed to be endless forms of college applications and wondering where I would be in a year's time. The stress of deciding what path to take for my future, boyfriend drama, and having an endless load of AP homework is enough to make anyone feel inadequate. Now that a few years have passed, I have truly come to love the girl I was at 17.
Needless to say, senior year was probably the toughest out of all four years of high school. The boy I thought I would love forever ended up breaking my heart into a million little pieces, I lost my best friend over a stupid argument that I can't even remember was about now, and being declined from the two schools I thought I would possibly attend my whole life... it really took a toll on me.
You know the song "Jack and Diane" by John Mellencamp? There is lyric in the song that really speaks out to me. "Hold on to 16 as long as you can, changes come round real soon make us women and men". In my case, 17 is the age that changed me into becoming the young woman I am today.
I took away a few valuable lessons from this age. The boy that broke my heart? I learned from him that people fall in and out of love, and that's okay. Young love is something that is special and cannot be replaced. People grow apart and they move on with their lives. My ex-best friend? I'll always love her, but she showed me that everyone is not who they seem to be, so it's important to choose your friends wisely. The two colleges that denied me? They declined a very intelligent and bright young women, but in the end pushed me in the direction where I needed to be, which was VCU.
If I could go back and give 17-year-old-me advice, I would remind myself that everything happens for a reason. There is no such thing as a coincidence. Everyone that was involved in my life changed me into the person that I am today, and for that I am thankful. I would tell myself to start going with the flow of things much earlier, because life is so much more interesting that way. I would remind myself to smile as much as possible, because it not only brightens your face, but also brightens everyone's mood around you.
I was always hard on myself at this age, and honestly I had no reason to be. Just like everyone else, I was giving everything the best I could, and that's all you can really ask of yourself. To anyone else who is still 17 or finishing high school, don't let the boy who sits behind you in class bother you or those SAT scores that you don't care for very much get you down. Trust me, the best four years of your life are about to start. Just enjoy this age as long as you can, because once it's gone you can't get it back.
