Dear Class of 2016,

Please don't wish it all away so quickly. As graduation is quickly approaching, you're going to wish that you had spent that free time with your parents, that you didn't hate on that English teacher so much and that you had taken advantage of the free education you were getting.

You're going to realize that this is it. This is the end of the lunch dates with your friends, this is the end of the pre-game parties, this is the end of saying, "I wish we weren't singing this in the concert." Maybe it sounds great right now, but from someone who has already done it, I promise that high school...isn't something you easily forget.

You've spent the last four years with the same handful of friends. You've spent the last four years memorizing the halls of the same building. You've spent the last four years laughing in the auditorium at your principal when he cracks the dumbest joke.

I'm sure by this point of the year, you've been saying, "I can't wait to get out of here. I can't wait to leave. I'm ready to explore." I'm also sure that this means you haven't spent a good amount of time thinking about what you're losing once you get that diploma. Yes, college is wonderful, new and exciting. It's also tough, eye-opening and stressful. Some days, you're going to wish that you didn't have class after 2:18 p.m., or that you could go over to your friends house right after school, or that the history teacher gave an extension on the group presentation...but that's finished now.

You can only spend so much time in the parking lot at midnight eating Cook Out. You can only spend so much time in the locker bays before going to class. You can only spend so much time before you drive to school for your winter concert. Take those times, those minutes and seconds, and hold on to them for as long as you can; you only get them once.

Spend as much time with your friends as you can because once it's gone, it's gone. Some of them have been with you since the beginning, others only one semester -- but how long they were with you doesn't really matter when you think about it.

Make sure you thank those teachers who helped you succeed and realize what you want to do. They don't get thanked a lot, and they should be thanked every day for their work and dedication. After all, who else was teaching you the Pythagorean Theorem and proper grammar for the last four years?

Smile more, laugh more, love more and work more. Don't slack off just because you've gotten accepted into your dream school. Laugh when your friend says something funny -- and when they don't. Don't flake on your friends; you won't be with them much longer, and soon the only time you'll see them is over winter break when you both have a few days to catch up.

My point is, class of 2016, don't let go so fast. Hold on tight and let go when they tell you to.

Sincerely,

A member of the Class of 2015