As I prepare to leave for college, I realized that all of the advice I received as a rising senior didn't actually hold true for me. In general, I don't tend to be a very sentimental person. I try to keep things logical and realistic. However I was assured by many that my senior year of high school would bring about "all the feels." For me, this simply wasn't true. As senior nights for sports came and went, I was left feeling the same as I had every other year. While my peers and I always talked about how odd it was to be graduating, it wasn't an immediate change in feeling. We were still at the same school, doing the same things, with the same people.

The most unusual part of senior year for me was the crying. At multiple points throughout the year, people would randomly become overwhelmed by the realization that this was the last time they were going to be doing something, and subsequently break down. For many of you, you will recognize that it is in fact a year of last times. However, rather than losing it over what is to come, you will make sure to take in the details and live in those moments while you can. A school year seems to drag on for a very long time and I can assure you that while you are aware that it is your last year of high school, you are not aware of how many milestones are reached between your last first day and graduation day.

Another very odd part of senior year is the overall attitude that nothing matters because it is your last year. Seniors are notorious for cutting and/or underachieving in their classes, and in some cases start to skip sports practices or appear to be the laziest people on a team. Seniors often forget how much of an impact they have on underclassmen and many don't identify as leaders within their school. During your senior year, you establish your legacy. What you accomplish during this last year is what most people are going to be able to remember you by once you leave. If you choose to waste your year partying or keeping the minimum GPA you need to graduate, you will probably be remembered as lazy.

My final bit of advice is take every opportunity you are presented with. Even if you end up doing something that isn't the most fun or taking on a lot more responsibility than you meant to, you will probably be thankful in the long run that you didn't go through your senior year like it was unimportant. Recognize your role as a leader and do all that you can while you can.

With all that being said, I will admit that getting ready to leave has made me somewhat nostalgic. I've thought a lot about the last four years and all the things I'm going to miss about it. It won't be easy, but you can all finish out strong. Good luck.