To the High School Seniors,

Senior year is what you've been waiting for since the beginning of high school and it's finally here, you're finally the big dogs. Senior year is the most stressful, hectic, emotional, fun, life changing year of your life. It's the year where you get accepted or rejected to colleges, the year where you are rushing to figure out what you want to do with your life, and a year of many "lasts." The last of your sporting events, homecomings, proms, theatre plays, homerooms and the last of seeing a lot of those familiar faces you've seen basically all of your life. As you're trying to swallow that huge pill of knowing you're going to be moving out and starting the beginning of your own book I have come up with advice just from my experience of graduating high school.

1. Don't be afraid to explore.

I know a lot of people stay close to home because of out of state tuition or knowing they're not ready to leave their parents' nest yet, but speaking from experience of moving to the complete opposite side of the state, don't be afraid to explore. I toured 5-6 schools before I figured out where I wanted to go and although you might know you don't want to go away from home, still tour schools that are a couple hours away. Moving away from my hometown and the LaCrosse area was the best decision I've ever made. I have met great people and some of my best friends here at Oshkosh. It really is a life changing experience and I wouldn't change it for the world. You really do get use to it and every time you leave you begin to miss it and want to come home.

2. Make sure your family ALWAYS comes first.

You may be sooooo sick of your mom yelling at you and telling you what to do or your dad pestering you to clean your car, or complaining about your grades or grounding you for a stupid decision you made but I PROMISE you, when you leave for college you will realize everything that they do for you. Trust me I was in the same place as you about a year ago and now I text my mom whenever I need more makeup or more clothes. Brothers on the other hand, we HATED each other before I left for college. We fought all the time and hate was an understatement, but now with us being about 4 hours away I can consider him one of my best friends. I think I've texted and called him more then I have with my dad.

3. Embrace every memory.

High School memories will forever be in your mind. You will get to college and make new friends along with new memories, but you will remember your high school memories with your high school friends and you will miss it. You will break down and cry about it and you will want to go home because you miss your "normal" group so much but I PROMISE you it will get easier. I left my best friend of 16 years to go to college and I'm surviving so I am telling you, you can get through it. But definitely don't take any of those memories for granted, even if it was a terrible mistake like forking someones front yard, you won't regret it when you get to tell your college friends all of the stupid stuff you did in high school, or your kids when they grow older.

4. Follow your heart.

Do what you want to do, don't let your parents try to control that aspect for you. This is your life, your book, and your future, do what YOU want to do because if you don't, you will regret it. Do the crazy adventures that you always want to do, go on that spring break trip you dreamed off, and spend money while you have it. Do everything you've wanted to do before college though because you don't have as much time as you think you do. Days go fast and nights go faster, especially when you get caught up in netflix.

And last but not least,

5. Have fun.

High school, especially your senior year, is the best time of your life. You've waited your whole life to graduate high school, you're at the top now so you better enjoy it before you're a little freshman again. You miss every chance that you don't take. Make sure to keep your studies up though. Embrace every memory and never forget your place. You will be missed and you will miss, but everything gets easier with time!

With that being said, college is totally different then high school. Make sure to come here with good study habits and never forget what you're here for. You will get sucked into those weekends where you go out and want to have fun but sometimes its nice to just stay in and get ahead on your studies. Have fun while it lasts and tell your friends that you love them because its hard when you pick a college that is hours away from your hometown.