Being a high school senior is incredibly awkward. As a senior, you have to transition from being required to raise your hand to go to the bathroom to knowing exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life. To college, or not to college? How do you do taxes? How do you even adult? The year is hard and confusing, but there are certain things a high school senior needs to know during this trying time.

1. You will never have everything figured out.

You can plan years in advance and take all the right classes, but guess what? You will NEVER have your future 100% figured out. Things will never go the way they should, because life changes every day. And believe it or not, this is okay. You might change your major your first year of college or find a new niche. Don't sweat the changes. Embrace them!

2. You will make friends.

Graduating high school is a big step towards independence. Whether you're in college or working, you're meeting new people and constantly trying new things. It's tough growing apart from the friends you had in high school and a little intimidating, but if you're worried about making friends after graduation, don't be. It's much easier than you might think to meet new people and start new relationships, no matter what kind of personality you might have.

3. You will learn all the important things you never learned in high school

High school teaches you all the irrelevant things in your life. If you're going to culinary school after college, you probably won't need to know what the square root of pi is. If you're going into the military, you probably don't need to remember what all the parts of a plant do. A high school education is general, and a lot of information may not be particularly applicable to what you want to do in your future. We all know you don't learn the important stuff in high school, like balancing a checkbook or doing your taxes. Don't freak out about not knowing how to do everything. You will learn what you need to do for your career, and you will learn how to be an adult. You don't need a classroom setting to learn these things, and if you ask me, it's easier to learn the important stuff on your own time.

4. Just because you hate high school doesn't mean you'll hate what comes after

Some people love high school, and some people hate it. I, for one, hated it. It was great to graduate, but high school was draining. It might seem obvious, but high school seniors need to be told this: what happens in high school will not follow you for the rest of your life. Didn't have too hot of an experience? Cool, you're outta there and you don't ever have to go back! Don't let a bad time in high school turn you off from college or finding a job. Sounds cliche, but the good times will always outweigh the bad.

5. You growing up is just as weird for your parents as it is for you

Finally hit the 18 benchmark? Exciting! Unfortunately, it's probably not so exciting for your parents. Their baby is growing up and leaving the nest. Can you imagine how weird that must for them? If your mom starts crying a lot after graduation, it's probably because she knows you're on the road to independence. Even though parents claim sometimes they can't wait for their kids to graduate and their retirement and whatnot, it's overwhelming and strange for them to all of a sudden see less of the kid they spent 18+ years raising. So, if your parents get weird when you start to branch out, don't hold it against them. They just love you a lot, want what's best for you, and don't want to lose a good thing.