Dear Incoming Seniors,
I would like to start out by saying congratulations; you are officially a high school senior (even if you feel like you're still 11 years old).
Up until this moment you have survived the long nights and unnecessary drama that high school has to offer. Now trust me when I say this, the next nine months of your life are going to fly by (if you listen closely you can hear everyone rolling their eyes). Before you know it you will be walking across that stage shaking your principals hand and hearing your mom scream "that's my kid!" in the crowd.
If there is one thing you take from this article let it be this... learn to live in the moment.
Memorize the way the soccer field smells after a hard earned win. Also, remember the silence of all of your teammates when you lose.
Learn not to be so hard on yourself because of one bad grade. You won't end up homeless just because you got an F on your chemistry test. You also most likely will not remember it in a year.
Go to prom even if you're certain that you're going to hate it. Get dressed up and go dance horribly with your friends. Even if you despise every moment you won't be able to regret not going in the future.
Do not wait too long to apply to colleges. Once you get it over with you won't be as stressed out (and you will get answers sooner).
Learn to trust your gut. Don't go to a certain college just because all of your friends are going there. If they're meant to stay in your life distance is not going to push them away. Go to the school that you see yourself studying at in the future.
No matter how embarrassing it is, let your mom ugly cry at your graduation. This is one of your biggest accomplishments thus far and your family is nothing but proud of you. So, let them take all of the pictures their heart desires and hug you in public.
My last tip is this... enjoy it. This is your last year of high school which means you finally escaped. Experience all of it one day at a time and get excited about your future. You're about to start a new chapter of your life and it is going to be everything you hoped.
