Hello, Juniors (or lost Freshman/Sophomores that have stumbled onto this in prepubescent confusion), let me give you a peek into what you have to look forward to during your Senior Year.

On your first day of Senior Year you’ll feel the nerves and excitement of every year as you prepare for what’s to come. Most of your day goes by seemingly normal until you hit the “BUT” moment (when you think everything is the same, BUT its not). Suddenly, you realize every experience you have in the school will soon be your last one there. The days that you spend with your friends are truly numbered. From going to your last locker of your last year to walking through those main doors one final time.

Not only that, but you start to see how some of your friends you won’t keep in contact after high school. The reality is those people might be great they don’t share the same goals, values, and interests as you. Ultimately, everyone grows up and strays from each other. Now this is sad, but there is a bright side!

These things all happen because Senior Year marks the beginning of the rest of your life and as intimidating as that sounds, and trust me it is, it’s also incredible. You begin a path towards what you want to do for the rest of your life. And if you don’t know what that might be yet, you’re just shy of reaching freedom. That’s an amazing feeling.

You also get the satisfaction of taking some of the best classes with student-favorite teachers that you’ve already grown to have a personal connection with.

On top of all that, there’s also the change to the Senior Projects where instead of a long presentation you simply have a Q&A with the board and defend your subject. To all incoming Seniors, that makes life much, much easier.

All in all, it’s a very bittersweet experience. You gain some marvelous things as well as lose other things as well. However, as long as you remember to truly enjoy it all then it will be worth. Join all the clubs you can, audition for that sport you’ve been curious about all these years, and go to all of the cheesy school dances that you detest. The worst thing to do in your Senior Year of high school is to do nothing at all.