Seniors, we get it, you're "ready to just graduate already." Truth is, you're not as ready as you think. Seeing the same people and following the same routine everyday may seem like such a drag, but I don't think you understand how different your life will be once you graduate. If you don't believe me, here are just some differences. There are some things you hate right now that you will miss later on when you are no longer living at home (I can confirm).
You're ready to leave everything you have right now because you keep hearing that college is going to be some of the best years of your life... but slow down. You only go to high school once. One day you will be playing your last game or running your last race. Or for those who don't do sports, one day you will be sitting in the student section for the last time. And on senior night, you will be crying (like this this girl did) because you can't believe that those four years of fame flew by so fast. Those people that you were always around and spent so much time with, only time will tell if the friendship is the same after a few months of not seeing each other. Sometimes you come to realize that you are only friends with certain people because you were forced to see them five times a week. However, once you get to college, you start to realize who your actual friends were and who actually cares about what you do for now on.
You're so accustomed to hearing, "I've heard great things about you!" because you knew just about everyone in your class. You would be able to make friends by having a friend, that had another friend, that had another friend and somehow now you were all friends. You have friends that can back up the statement of how great you are and then everyone would suddenly know how great of a personality you have. Except things change. People can know everything about you right now, but in a few months you will have to count on no one but yourself to be able to put out a good word for yourself. In the first few weeks of college, no one is going to be there to tell others how great you really are or how funny you can be. Everyone is going to seem like a stranger to one another and only you will be able to tell with who you really get along with.
You probably hate high school right now, but one day you will realize how bittersweet it was. You will miss how easy classes were compared to your classes now and you will miss being able to turn in homework late with no penalty. And depending on whether you go to a big school or a small school, you will miss being able to have that personal connection with your teachers. Along with that, you may think that high school is a joke. However, you will stop laughing when you get to college. In college, you are literally preparing for the future. You will no longer be taking pointless physical education or art classes, you will now be taking classes that determine how soon you graduate so you can be ready for the real world. Now, you will actually need the classes you take in order to succeed within your profession.
Before you know it, you will be walking across the stage to receive your diploma with the people you have been with for four years. So do what you want to do when you get the opportunity to do it. Talk to that cute guy in your English class, talk to that girl you think seems really nice but you have never spoken to, and go to prom even though you do not have a male date. Ladies, don't let a boy stop you from blooming. I repeat, don't let a boy stop you from blooming. Your boyfriend of the time may or may not be your high school sweetheart, but at this moment he is your boyfriend, not your husband. So go out with your girlfriends and have a good time. As cliche as it sounds, do what makes you happy. After all, you probably won't see these people again, right?
No one knows what will become of each person in the next year or so so make time for loved ones. Appreciate what you have while you have it. Because while you're fighting with your siblings now, one day you will be sitting in your dorm texting them when is the next time they will be going home. You will learn to appreciate what they did or did not do for you and you will regret spending so much time locked up in your room when you could have been out making memories with them. So next time you're with your parents, friends, or loved ones, put your phones down and spend time with them. High school may seem like a mess but you at least you're no longer the middle school version of yourself, right? The amount of growth you experienced during these four years may seem like a lot. But I promise you, in these next four years you will experience so much more.
You have been in school for over 12 years now, but just know that your journey of life is barely getting started. Have fun, smiles lots, and laugh often. No one really knows where they will be in one year from now.
