To the Class of 2017,

You're almost there. Don't look back now. You're so close. Only a couple more months of high school left to go. I have a couple words of advice for you.

Senioritis. You'll get irritated with your teachers, show up late to class, and not have a care in the world. We all know what it is, and some of you may have had senioritis since you were a freshman. It hits you, don't worry. I never thought it would hit me, but trust me, it does. Mine hit me after spring break. Try to be as respectful as possible, get your work done, and show up to class. Your teachers care more about you than you will ever know, and I promise all the hard work will pay off.

Do what you want. Don't do something because other people want you to. If you aren't happy, don't do it. It's not worth your time if you are miserable. One of the best decisions I have ever made in my life was quitting band my senior year. I had a free schedule to do whatever I wanted.

This brings me to my next point. Get involved and do everything you want. If you are the quiet kid that sits in the back of the class, get out and enjoy your senior year. Don't be miserable. Go to sporting events, join a club, and make new lasting friends. I made some of my very best friends my senior year.

Be nostalgic about all of the lasts. This year will be filled with lots of lasts. Your last homecoming, last season of high school sports, and last first day of high school. It's okay to be upset. Especially during the last few weeks of school. Cry because you don't want it to be over. That means it meant something to you. It's okay to cry. I did, multiple times because it's the end of something we knew for four years.

You will miss it. I promise you will. I never thought I would, but I'm only days away from moving to college and I still think I'm going back to high school. You'll miss the teachers who go off on tangents about absolutely nothing, the traffic in the hallways, the gross school lunches, Friday night football, and all the five paragraph essays. Five paragraph essays will seems so easy compared to what you have to do in college.

However, there will be the tough times. You'll get a bad grade on a test, forget to turn in an important paper, or be late to class. Just keep pushing through because it's almost over. Don't wish your time away. It's pointless. Make the most of every day you have left, and you will have lasting memories.

Yes, you are ending high school, but there is so much ahead for you. This is just the end to a new beginning. Live it up because it doesn't last forever. Good luck Class of 2017!