Senior Year is a difficult time in anyone’s life, so here’s some advice to get you through the next few months:
1.The future will begin to eclipse the present. Nobody wants to talk about how hard classes are or how much homework you have when you’re prepping to move across the country. You’ll be so busy telling relatives and teachers what your plans are for next year that you’ll forget about today. Senior year, sadly, becomes a large blur. You’ll be wanting and waiting and right now will feel like nothing but a time filler- the anticipation for better things to come will start to consume you. But try and take a break, walk down the halls and look around. Take too many pictures in the bathroom mirrors and give school your best shot- it’ll be gone forever before you know it. And you will miss it, I promise.
2. Most of your friends will disappear. Quality over quantity. You haven’t got a lot of time left before flying the nest so why would you waste it on people who barely text you back. As time fades so do your mates- make the moments count with the people you actually care about. You won’t miss the hangers on when you’re 100s of miles away from home, so don’t think twice about cutting them now.
3. But you’ll need them more than ever. Beneath the excitement and elation of entering higher education is probably fear. Going out into the big bad world is scary and it’s easy to loose yourself. Keep your friends close- they knew you before you’d figured yourself out- when you were still rough around the edges and sporting pigtails. They’ll know how to keep you grounded now.
4. You’ll be itching to leave. The place you grew up has probably given you a lot, but it’s probably taken a lot out of you too. Everyone needs a fresh start sometimes and yours is on the horizon. You will begin to feel suffocated in your town/city and that’s okay, we all have to grow up and move on. But be patient. The best things come to those who wait.
5. You’ll start to appreciate the place you live more. Every place has it’s own charms and unique attributes, unfortunately we rarely appreciate it until it’s gone. Try and find beauty in the town that taught you to see the world. Try not to hate it- if things don’t work out your way, you will always be welcomed back home. Do not ever forget where you came from; it made you into the person you are.
6. Your mental health will be put on the back burner. You’ll be stressed and you’ll be busy. You will have classes and deadlines and final social events. You’ll have plenty of goodbyes and adventures as your childhood starts to dry up. And you probably won’t prioritize your mental health. You might burn out or even relapse, but don’t let it destroy you. Learn how to forgive yourself when life gets in the way. You can’t always be careful, you won’t always be alert to your issues, but it’s okay. Pick yourself back up and try harder next time, strive to be better. Life is one big learning curve- it won’t be easy but you’ll make it through.
7. Finding a balance never gets easier. You’ve been in education for more than a decade but you still write essays the night before the deadline. You go to your crappy job, exhausted, and fake a smile. You have to choose being studying and your friends a lot and it’s hard. You try to eat healthy, exercise and stay mentally stable, but it doesn’t always go to plan. Balancing doesn’t get ever get easier, the pressure just increases and the tasks mount up. The adult world is full of responsibilities and mastering the balancing act is your only way of conquering them all. Good luck learning to prioritise.
As you’ll discover in Senior Year, time stops for no one. Make the most of the time you have, because life is shorter than you think, and good luck out there in the adult world. If nothing else, become someone who exudes kindness in all that they do. The secret eight lesson; classrooms and learning are important, but it’s the impact you have on other people that will really change the world.
