It’s that time of year again: for prom planning, warm weather and constant chatter about college. Since I was a freshman, I’ve looked forward to the day I could flip my switch from serious to fun. As exciting as it is to be a second semester senior, I’ve struggled to find the balance between living my life how I want to and caring about school work. But the beginning of the end is right upon the class of 2023–and it’s time to take control of this newfound freedom in high school.

Nobody talks about the very real struggle of letting go. For the past three years, I was wired to do well in school. Like many of my classmates, school was my number one priority because my goal was to get into college. Now that I’ve reached that goal, I find myself questioning who I am if I don’t care about something that I’ve worked so hard to achieve anymore.

After sitting in class and feeling lost one too many times in the last quarter, I’ve realized that school work doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You don’t have to stop caring, but you do have to start living for yourself. This looks different for many people with individual passions and interests, but the one common theme is taking control of life, happiness and purpose in your last few months.

For me, I’ve tried to eliminate things that give me unnecessary stress and put that energy into building relationships, working out, and watching March Madness- activities that bring me happiness.

There’s no more pressure to get 100s on tests, so take advantage of the time you’re saving by not having to spend hours a night studying. Many of my classmates are filling their time by getting a job, preparing for assassins or ending their senior sport seasons on a high note. Whatever that activity is, there’s always a way to have fun and live in the present.

“There’s so much going on outside of school. A random civics test is the last thing I’m worried about,” said senior Rachel Simon, whose main focus is finding the perfect Lollapalooza outfit and planning for the summer.

Participate in school activities because they’re fun and interesting. It’s the perfect opportunity to do something for your own happiness–not for college applications, extra credit or to please someone else. Just because you’ve done something for a long time doesn’t mean it’s the right path. The next few months are completely in your control.

I went and saw “Mamma Mia” a couple weeks ago, and since then I have a newfound appreciation for theater. It was something I’ve always wanted to go see, but never took the time because school and my sport always came first.

AP Exams are also coming up, so if you need motivation in classes, focus on getting a good score on that specific exam. At this time of year, there’s so much pressure not to care, but people value different things. Don’t let other people’s actions or words stop you from doing what you want to do or staying on your own path.

As school is coming to a bittersweet end, there’s one thing to remember: you are in control of your own life. You only have one senior year and when you look back, you don’t want to have any regrets. As Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”