Seniors in high school lend me your ears. The all-knowing college freshman would like to provide you with some advice she would have wanted approximately 365 days ago. It may seem obvious but let this be a sign that you are in a really important time of your life and it is crucial that you do take advantage of it.
Enjoy your time.
I know I’m telling you this, your mom, dad, older siblings, cousins, grandparents, teachers etc. are all telling you this, but we mean it. Seriously, these are some of the best months of your life that you will never ever get back. This advice remains true forever, but for high school seniors, it can never be emphasized enough. Never again will you see half the people that you currently do see every single day for eight hours. That is some intense stuff. You are growing up and yes it is going so so fast. Be appreciative of all the many things that are inevitably going to change in the months to come. Take in the sights of your school. Stop running out of the building as soon as the dismissal bell rings.
Go to everything.
This goes hand in hand with enjoying. Always around this time, the seemingly silly high school events appear so obsolete and unnecessary. They do not seem quite as important or really that appealing to you, but, they are important. Go to them. The more memories you get from high school the better. Don’t let stupid “I’m-so-over-high-school” people convince you that you don’t need to go. You do. Faculty and staff and underclassmen usually plan these events and they deserve some love and laughs with you before you leave them. Frat parties will be fun when the time comes, but first, go to the Senior Night games for every sport, go to the ever so important and special prom, and really just go to anything that comes up for you as a high school student. That title will soon leave you.
Say thank you.
Say thank you to the teachers that made a difference in your high school experience — the ones that stayed after to help you learn every bones in your body, the ones that encouraged you to be the best version of yourself possible, the ones that did everything they could to immerse you in a “très difficile" language. They deserve your kind words and gratitude before you move on and they stay behind. Say thank you to the cafeteria people that always smile at you. Say thank you to people in your class that sent you study guides, helped with essays or anything of that sort. Say thank you especially to your parents that have done sooooo much for you always. Thank them for dinner and advice and brutal honesty and financial support. They helped you through 18 years of being alive, a quick thanks is in order. This definitely does not have to be some formal affair, just a quick email or card or two-minute visit to their room to give them back a small portion of the support they gave you.
Don’t worry so much about your plan.
"What’s your major?" "What do you want to be?" "What’s your plan?" As you keep answering these Earth-shattering, ever-present, over-done, stupid series of questions, feel free to do one of the following, 1. Smile and say you honestly have no idea 2. Make something up that makes sense to people to show you are capable of a plan, or 3. If you do have a plan, say it in great detail with confidence. With any of the three, know that you are most likely not going to do what you are intended to and that is totally completely 100 percent okay. A very special person once said, “Life is what happens when you are making other plans.” That could not be more relevant today. Don’t let people asking you these questions or you asking yourself these kinds of things take up too much space in your head. Life is funnier than any comedian — sorry Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, and Dave Cook. It truly is. Life provides the greatest comedies of all time. Expect to reconsider what you are doing with your life forever, so now is definitely not the time to lock in your final answer.
And finally, get really excited for college.
A new chapter of your life is about to open and that in itself is really awesome. A new place and brand new experiences await you wherever you choose to spend the next four amazing years of your life. Things will be different, you will have more responsibility, and also more control of your life which is pretty cool. You will be sitting in a classroom for way less time than you do now, so think about how you’ll spend that time. It is going to be a lot of new fun, so look forward to that too.
It is really important that you just learn to love where you are now, how you got to where you are and where you are going. Don't sweat the small stuff and finish high school strong.
