Hey,

For starters, I want to congratulate you on finally making it to your senior year. I completely understand the anticipation that you've felt until now. Even though you're probably already counting down the days until graduation, I have to encourage you to slow down. I understand that you just want to finish, but be patient.

I probably sound a little contradictory because I started counting down the days until graduation on move-in day of freshman year, but if you thought the past three years went fast, just wait. Senior year flew by for me, and I know it will do the same for you.

I want you to spend as much time with your friends as possible because come May, you will all go your separate ways. Enjoy the times that you sit up talking at two a.m., the times when you ate ice cream on the floor and the times where you want to kill them all because you're trying to study and they're all being loud. Enjoy the little things. Though I didn't live on campus my senior year, I got to enjoy the little things with my roommates for three years, and I miss it every single day.

Even if you commute to school, be there as much as possible and participate in all of the events that you never have before. Soak in the atmosphere because the campus will be a distant memory for you sooner than those who lived on campus.

Parts of your first semester will seem to drag, and you'll have an overwhelming, "I'm never going to finish," feeling, but then you blink; winter break is two days away.

When the spring semester starts up, you will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's so close but still just out of reach. Don't give up now. Don't let your papers start lacking content, and don't let your discussion boards be three sentences; finish strong!

After the lump of February snow storms pass, the spring flowers will start to bloom, and the weather will start to become nice enough to study outside. This is a good time to start your countdown because by this time it should be in the double digits! It's really exciting to see only two numbers and not three. Once you get to that point, you'll understand what I mean.

There will be a ton of stress over your senior project, but just keep remembering this is the last time that you will ever have to worry about a school project of this size! Keep pushing on, but don't rush through it. I might sound crazy when I tell you to enjoy the stress, but trust me, you'll understand that too when you finish up.

Senior year is a whirlwind of emotions. You'll be frustrated it's not May yet when the semester just begins, and you'll be sad when you say your final goodbyes. You may just cry when you receive your cap, gown, tassel, hood and graduation tickets because you'll realize that the time finally has come.

Enjoy your senior year because you're going to blink, and the stage will be in front of you.

Sincerely,

A graduating senior