High school can easily be defined as the best four years of your life. You’re meeting new people, figuring out where you belong, and finally becoming more open. It’s a time where some people really find themselves and blossom.

The memories made in high school are the ones that many people hold near and dear to their heart. These memories are what they’re going to tell their children; it's how they met their best friend, how they failed a quiz because they slept through the lecture, the Friday night lights. These memories are ones that people will look back on and cry because they miss them so much.

At graduation, it’ll feel funny leaving everything behind. You look around and realize one thing: you’re never going to see half of these people again. Now some may jump for joy, and others may feel a little down. Either way, it’s all coming to an end. The memories of the past four years are all catching up to you, and now you’re feeling nostalgic, you don’t want to let go, you want to hold on to them. Although it’s good to cherish these memories, there’s also a time where you need to to let them go, let them end.

After graduation, the only time you should revisit your old high school is if you desperately need to (Honestly, when will you ever NEED to?), or want to visit an old teacher every now and then. There is absolutely no need for you to go back to every football game, dance, or event. I understand if high school was a major part of your life, but sometimes it’s better to leave things in the past. Don’t try to relive it.

By holding onto these memories, you aren’t fully allowing yourself to appreciate the present. The memories you could be making now are being held back by the ones you can not let go. High school is where you found yourself, and they were the best four years of your life, but the next four years are waiting. The next four years are waiting for you to make amazing memories out of them. The next four years are going to go by in a blur and all you have to remember them by will be your high school ones. How do you expect to make college the next best four years if you don’t let go of high school?

It doesn’t matter who you were in high school. It doesn’t matter how high your GPA was, how popular you were, all that matters is what happens after high school.

Letting go of your high school years is challenging, especially if they were significant parts of your life. The memories you make in high school will definitely stay in your heart, and you’ll cherish them as you grow, but just remember that there are bigger and better things after high school. You just have to go out and find them.