Dear Last Marking Period High School Senior,

As your final year of high school comes to a close, you're probably looking forward to so many things. The idea of no longer waking up before the sun is out excites you to an extent that no one can understand. After giving the best prom-posal or finding the perfect dress, you’re more than ready to rock prom. You can’t wait to walk out of your final AP or IB exam, knowing that you’re worth more than your final score. Maybe you just got the college acceptance letter you’ve been waiting for, or you landed a job that you can’t wait to start right after graduation. Or perhaps, you’re really scared or confused about having a life without high school.

Towards the end of high school, I think the phrase that my friends and I repeated the most was, “I cannot wait to get out of here.” We were getting tired of our classes, the senior year drama over prom dresses, and waking up before 6 AM. We couldn't wait to graduate and go to college. As a college freshman now, college is filled many new experiences and people. For the most part, you can finally take classes that pertain to your interests. You can sleep past 6 AM!

Despite its perks, college can be quite stressful at times. Between homework and extracurricular activities, it can be even harder to balance everything than it was in high school. Don’t get me wrong, college can be great. But there will be days where you wish you were with your best friends in homeroom and you could go home to your dog every day.

While you might be counting down the days until graduation like I did, my best piece of advice is to appreciate the rest of high school as much as you can. I know high school isn’t the best experience for everyone and it definitely has its ups and downs, but make the most out of your experiences. Appreciate the teacher who’s always more than ready to help you ace that paper or test. Enjoy the Friday nights out with friends, or the Saturday nights at home with your family. Do your best after that last AP exam and celebrate with a trip to Dairy Queen. Avoid the drama surrounding prom and senior picnic, and own it! No matter what you do, just remember to appreciate these last two months, knowing that your last marking period will be defined by how you make it.

Sincerely,

A college freshman who cannot believe they graduated a year ago