Ah, fall. The time where back to school sales are approaching and the eagerness (or lack thereof) slowly kicks in. Slowly the class of incoming seniors comes to a sense of realization: They are now the alphas. It's their turn to go through the transition process into the adult world. To share their excitement, social media posts float around such as "To the Class of ____" and seniors tag their friends in it with a crying emoji. I know, because I did the exact same thing. I'm here to present my own letter to you. One that I wish I could have read last year just to mentally prepare myself. Senior Year for Dummies.
1. You Will Not Randomly Befriend Everyone in Your Class
This is not a movie; people will not randomly change in front of your eyes without reason. If personalities clashed last year, and the year before that, chances are it's not gonna work out this year either. If you want to, branch out! Talk to someone you never got to know. But that girl you've hated since you got in a fistfight in fifth grade? Probably not gonna happen.
2. Senior Prom Is a Mix of Emotions
Getting ready is exciting! Pictures are fun! Then suddenly you're stuffed in a sweaty gym or dining hall and you're rounding up your friends to ask what time they're ready to go get drunk.
3. College Applications Blow
Tours, research, application fees, perfecting essays and having them proofread twice before finally sending them in. Then playing the waiting game and religiously checking the mailbox every day only to be met in defeat and dreadful anxiety.
4. So Does Making Your Decision
Congratulations! You made it into every school you applied for. You even got scholarship money! But now what? This school has a beautiful campus, but this school has a good program for your major... and this one just had really good food when you visited. Priorities.
5. You Won't Feel Like It's Your Last Anything
Your last game, concert, recital, etc. will sadly fly by just like the other ones. The realization of it being over won't hit you until months later (this counts for graduation too!).
6. You Will Complain About How Long the Year Is Taking
I wish I knew how many times I said "I just can't wait to graduate!" anytime something came up that was a mild inconvenience. Even though the constant advice of "Enjoy the time you have left" rings in your ears, you will still be eager to leave. That's OK; it's OK to be excited for what's ahead.
7. Relatives Are Suddenly Interested in Your Life
Your great aunts that didn't know your name two months ago all of a sudden want to know your entire life plan.
Where are you going to school? What for? What is your career goal? Where do you plan on living after graduation?
I don't know. I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow night, let alone next fall.
8. You Won't Remember Graduation
The entire day is a series of blurs and pictures that you don't recall taking. Again, the significance doesn't loom in the air. All you're going to want to do is go out to eat afterwards. You'll spend half of the ceremony watching someone walk across stage and think to yourself "Since when do they go to our school?"
9. This Will Not Magically Be "the Best Year of Your Life"
Ultimately, you get out what you put in. If you put yourself in situations where you're miserable, then that's how your year will be. If you go out of your way to have fun, then it'll be one for the books. Things don't fall into place because it's your last hurrah. So, seniors, go out with your friends. Complain about FAFSA and how you can't wait until you're done with math forever over burritos with free chips. Take as many pictures as you can. Thank your teachers that have put up with your senioritis. Create memories for yourself that you will be proud to look back on.
