Dear seniors,

I was in your shoes less than a year ago. I know that all of you just want to get the f**k out of high school, but now I wish I didn’t. I wish I didn’t take everything for granted. I wish I slowed down enough to realize how lucky I was to have such an amazing group of people, both teachers and students, around me every day. I wish I didn’t let the time fly by. I wish I had a second chance to go back and redo it. Everyone looks forward to college and can’t wait for the freedom that comes with going away to school, so we try to make the time in high school pass quickly. So many people say that high school and college are the greatest years of your life, but we’re so busy always looking towards the next big thing that we forget this. High school seems so so so long when you’re just a little freshman, but it’s true what they say: it really does go by in the blink of an eye.

Here’s some advice from the washed-up high school grad who didn’t really appreciate those 4 years. Go to the football game everyone is talking about. Don’t say that you’re tired and that there will always be another one.

Make the most of your classes; it may seem dumb, but you’re going to get to college and realize that the teachers you had in high school cared way more about you than your college professors ever will.

Go out with your friends, but don’t forget to spend time with the people who love you the most, your family.

Go to prom. It may not be the best night of your life, but you’ll regret it if you don’t.

Get sleep, but don’t sleep through your 4 years of high school.

There’s definitely more advice I have, but these were the biggest things I took for granted. I wish I did more in high school and was more outgoing, but that’s not how things worked out for me and that’s okay too. I don’t want anyone to miss out on the opportunities I did because I was too shy and didn’t feel like going with the crowd. It’s okay to go with the crowd sometimes, as long as you remain true to yourself. You never get a second chance at anything, so slow down, relax, and enjoy the time before graduation, because trust me, it will be over before you want it to.

Love,

A washed-up high school grad