My Advice to Rising Seniors Facing Fight or Flight
Three months ago I graduated high school. Now I won’t lie, my high school experience was not perfect. I spent the last four years in a small private school where words traveled quick, and judgements followed even quicker. I put on many facades and went through phases of fulctuating contentment and regret. Now, however, that these facades and phases have passed me by, I think I finally understand how I should have spent my time in high school. My senior year, in particular, was crucial to capping off (no pun intended) my high school experience. I wish I had known more about the mindset in which my senior year should have been spent. So here is a list of things I wish I would have considered as my last year as a high-schooler sped past.
1. Stop wishing your life away. When I was 10, I could not wait to be 16. When I was 16, I could not wait to be 18. Now I’m 18 and I wish I still had nap time after lunch. Now I know how badly you cannot wait to graduate. I came to my high school in eighth grade in an attempt to get a head start on my high school credits through a selective home-schooling program that my high school had offered; This meant that by the time I was a senior, I had already attended that school for a full four years…I knew “senioritis” better than anyone. Most of our important milestones happen in our youth. The older you get, the less of a future you have to look forward to because the best times are already behind you. By anticipating your graduation, you’re skipping past all of the sports seasons, spirit weeks, football games, lunch periods, and after school shenanigans that you will miss more than anything one day soon. Take every “first last” and “last last” at a time so that the best years of your life don’t elude you too severely.
2. Don’t flaunt your instability. This one is hard for me. I’m the type to cry in public. There, I said it. I hate when I blubber like an idiot whilst turning the heads of everyone in the room, but I can’t help it, I simply cannot hide how I feel. In high school this became a problem because the moment that stress had overtaken me, I would cry. My tears became an inside joke among my friend group—“Evans crying again” they’d say. I began to think it was funny and relatable to have mental breakdowns. In college, it’s relatable, but it sure as hell isn’t funny. The truth is, high school is probably the most stable you will be for a long time. College will come, assignments will pile up, and you won’t have the comfort of home, parents, or teachers to hold your hand and walk you through it. I wasted my tears on simple assignments and stupid boys, but I had no idea what turmoil would await me at university. Please enjoy the simplicity of high school and do not succumb to the media’s mental health mockery just for a laugh. I don’t mean to say that senior year is a breeze, because it isn’t. But flaunting your poor test grades and lack of sleep will not solve anything. Instead, do something productive with your final high school year. Walk the walk and talk the talk of success so that when you truly do hit rock bottom, you won’t have been there for longer than necessary. Work hard to get good grades and build up your resume. Don’t cry over a grade that you knew was destined for the grade book because you barely made time to study. Try your best to stay afloat so that when you do start to sink, you won’t drown.
3. Do not be lazy. Wow, even just writing those four words is embarrassing because its so inexcusably cliche advice, but its true! Senior year can be a breeze, or it can be extremely taxing. Between college applications, scholarships, last-minute resume bulking, or just keeping up with your normal classes, this year will be hard for you. But my main advice is to take it seriously and grind it out. Do not use your free period to watch Netflix, get your homework out of the way as soon as you come home, or as soon as your weekend begins. If needed, do homework, studying, or applications during your lunch period or before any extracurriculars begin. The more of these challenges you face head on, the more time you will have to make incredible memories. This year is the poster child of your high school memories. When you reminisce on your high school experience, senior year will be the first thing you remember and the final taste left in your mouth…make it oh so sweet! Work hard and work quickly so that you can truly enjoy your final year. And remember, no one remembers the nights they spent locked up with their nose in a textbook. Go. Do. Live!
Well reader, I could probably write a list ten times as long as the three tid-bits you’ve just read based on my crazy stories and traumatic teenage tales. However, that would require a lot of name-changing and explaining of my complicated love-hate relationship with my high school, so I’ll spare you the details and leave it to these three pieces of advice. I hope you’ve learned something between reading my opening line and now. If you haven’t, I don’t blame you; I’m new to this whole blogging thing. I’ll leave you with this: have fun, enjoy the familiar faces, work the hardest you’ve ever worked, and get out and live your life to its full “funness” capacity. With love, Ev
Pathways 