Dear High School Seniors,

Many people say senior year will fly by. And honestly, it will. Senior year was the best year of all of my high school years, but it was also the most stressful. Everyone expects you to have all the answers for your future.

Teachers, friends, parents, everyone will ask you:

"Where will you go to college?"

"What will you major in?"

"What do you want your occupation to be?"

"Will you live on campus?"

"Are you nervous?"

"Are you excited?"

Trust me, ALL of us have been there. It is okay not to have all the answers. You can say you do not know. No one will shame you for not knowing. It is honestly okay.

My high school wanted us to tell them where we would go to college within the first two months of senior year and honestly, I did not know. I had to keep telling them I did not know. I had been accepted to schools, but I did not know which one I would go to. It took me all the way until April to figure out which college I wanted to go to.

Senior year was also a sad year for me. It was the year of lasts. You had your last homecoming, your last basketball game, your last prom, etc. It also held so much certainty. Everyday, you knew what time the bell would ring, you knew all of your teachers and you knew where you would go home. You also knew you did not have to pay to attend. You just knew. College is a massive guessing game.

My year was also very sad due to my underclassman friends. I had two best friends who were freshmen. It broke my heart on the last day of school saying goodbye. Even as I type out this article, I remember their tears and their kind words. I am scared that high school will corrupt them and I will miss them as I go into a brand new school.

Besides all the constant questioning about my future and the sadness that came with senior year, it was so much fun. Seniors get top priority on everything. We got it all. I was one of a few seniors who had a full schedule (which means I had all eight of my classes). We were guaranteed prom tickets, tickets to the sporting events, all teachers knew you and they would start becoming friends with you. You truly felt like an adult.

Enjoy your senior year because it will fly by very fast. Yes it is still school, but it's your final year under your school district. It is also your final year of going to school for free. Enjoy it. You got this.

Sincerely,

A former senior