It’s kind of crazy that High School is already over. I’ve spent the last four years of my life here. Four years is a long time. It’s all I’ve ever known for that long. I’ve spent seven hours a day here, five days a week, ten months a year. Even though high school is what I’m comfortable with, and I’m scared of what might be coming next in my life, I’m excited to leave. There is a big part of high school that I loved, and a big part of high school that I wasn’t so fond of. I couldn’t be more optimistic as I move on to college and make use of my independence. I’m finally going to get an opportunity to start a new chapter of my life without the baggage of High School. As much as I will take all of the memories with me, I’m leaving a lot behind. All in hopes that more fulfilling things will come my way.

I’m leaving behind the missed opportunities

There are so many things I didn’t take advantage of in High School. This was all due to my fear of fitting in and being liked by my peers. I would have loved to continue singing in chorus, but I didn’t because my voice wasn’t broadway quality. I would have loved to try a new sport, but I didn’t because my reputation wasn’t very athletic. I would have loved to write for the school newspaper, but I didn’t because it was new to me and I didn’t know anyone else in the club. I would have loved to get up in front of my school and read an original piece for poetry day, but I didn’t, and I don’t even have an excuse for that one.

I’m leaving behind the fake people

I was super pumped to enter High School because of the infinite new personalities I would get to meet. I dreamed of gathering a large circle of people I could call my best friends. Well, that’s exactly what I did. Except I quickly learned that not all of them were to be trusted and not all of them were best friend worthy. People can be nasty, and I’m sure that’s true wherever I go. However I’ve cultured myself with the proper qualities of a real friend and the next stage of my life will only be filled with honorable, trustworthy, kind hearted souls.

I’m leaving behind the procrastination

Although I am proud of the grades I received in High School, I’m not so pleased with the methods I took to achieve them. Many times, instead of doing an assignment, I would just get it from a friend last minute, or google the answers. I got lazy. I thought my time was too precious to be spent on school work so I was always stuck scrambling to write five page research papers the night before they were due. From now on I want to put in my best effort. I want to be proud of every project I submit and I want to manage my time more responsibly.

I’m leaving behind the low self-esteem

High School puts a strain on everyone who walks through those halls. Peer pressure is real, and everybody wants a sense of belonging. I’ve definitely evolved into an original person, but there’s still a lot of me that hasn't been able to reach my full potential. College is a place for growth and discovering who you are, so I’m saying goodbye to the self-conscious, shy teenager, and hello to the optimistic, young adult.