Wow. I was asked to write an article about being a senior. This is crazy to me, it still has not sunk in that this is my last year of high school. My mom said it best when posting a picture of me on her facebook page with the comment “Ben’s last first day of high school”, that one felt weird. As an underclassman and a junior I witnessed close friends, teammates and even family members graduate, however I never thought that my turn would come so fast.

 

Everyone knows that junior year is the hard year and senior year is supposed to be the fun year. Senior year offers more independence, more activities, and the thrill of choosing your college. Obviously all that stuff is great, however there are still the sentimental thoughts that fill my head, like how I will not see all of the people I’ve been attending school with since preschool on a daily basis. I will also miss the familiar faces of teachers, attending sporting events in which I know every athlete on the team, and the familiar feel of the highschool itself.

 

    You know it seems crazy. I could give you specific details of my freshman and sophomore year, because it truthfully feels like yesterday. When you are going through the everyday grind of homework and tests, it's hard to realize how fast the time is flying by, and it is hard to take in all the stuff that is going on around you.  If you are a freshman, sophomore, junior or even just a random person reading this article, just know that time flies. I can’t believe that I am a year away from college, and I think most of my fellow senior classmates would agree. My message to all of you is this: Value every moment you have in high school because before you know it, it will be over.

 

    Now as a senior (or an elder in regards to my younger underclassman) I will offer you some advice. Make the most of your highschool experience-you will get out of it what you put into it. Get involved, join clubs, play sports, try out for the play, meet people and make new friends. Be a part of something bigger than yourself. Try your best in school; just because you try does not mean you are a nerd, it actually means that you want to see yourself succeed. Use your teachers as a resource, they want you to succeed, not fail, so if you need help with a subject go in before or after school.  In addition, associate with positive people who make you happy, don’t just hang with who you think is “cool”. Finally mistakes are okay, you can use them as learning experiences.

 

Senior year is sad, it is the final goodbye to your hometown, your school for the last four years, and the people you love spending time with everyday. But if you do it right, you will look back and realize that the only reason why you are sad is because it was so freaking amazing.  Make your goal be to have such an amazing time in high school, that it will be impossible to say goodbye when your four years fly by.

 

To my seniors reading this, let’s finish this year strong. To my former and current teachers thank you, and to the optimistic freshman, sophomores and juniors hopefully reading this, good luck and always remember to make the most of your four years at Canton High.