As my senior year is halfway over, I have come to terms with a lot of things along the way. Though the future is unknown, the past and present seem very clear now.

Here are 5 things I now know after 4 long years of high school:

1. High school is not a walk in the park by any means.

The first time walking through the doors of my high school was nerve racking because we, as freshmen, were at the bottom of the totem poll once again. The nerves quickly faded and reality set it: this was going to be a long 4 years. Soon enough, I was walking through those same doors as a sophomore and again as a junior. During junior year, every junior, at one point or another, thought senior year was never going to arrive. But eventually (very slowly), senior year did arrive and we, especially I, were excited to be 9 months away from graduating.

During the last 4 years, I and everyone else I know have faced hardship, pain, and lots (and lots) of stress. So much so, some of us did not think we were ever going to make it to graduation. And some of our peers, unfortunately, did not make it to graduation, and that pain impacted us even more.

2. Whoever said senior year was easy was lying.

Throughout my 4 years in high school, everyone always told me, "You don't have much more to go, you can do it! Senior year is easy, it will fly by!" Okay, well, they were definitely mistaken because my senior year has been just as stressful and busy as my junior year was, and that's not an easy doing. And, senior year is moving as slow as a turtle does, no exaggeration.

3. The phrase "high school is the best 4 years of your life" is also false.

I hate to break the news of another false phrase, but high school is definitely not the best 4 years. Thinking about it, I'm not sure why it would be; everyone is going through very different paths in their lives.

The phrase "college is the best 4 years of your life" may very well be true, though. I will let you know in another 4 years...

4. Senior year is basically a countdown to graduation.

Though I have established that senior year is not all that it is cracked up to be, senior year is also very much a countdown to the last day of our senior year. Not to mention, senioritis set in months ago, or for some of us, nearly as soon as junior year started. Therefore, we have transitioned from watching the clock countdown to 3:30 p.m. to counting down the days until we walk on stage to receive our diploma. Oh, it is 146 days until then, in case anyone was wondering.

5. The friends you make in high school are probably not the friends you will have leaving high school.

High school is 4 years, and during that time, you and everyone around you change dramatically. Therefore, it is likely that the friends you walked into high school with are likely not the people you started senior year with, nor who you will be friends with the day you graduate and begin your journey towards college. Luckily, the friends you parted ways with are just another stepping stone towards the friends you will make, and keep, further on in life.

After 4 long years of high school, over 700 days, the day for graduation is (slowly) approaching.

146 days left -- Let the countdown begin.