I did not expect this.

As the last year of high school nears the end, most seniors see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, I never anticipated the slew of emotions that I would feel as graduation inches closer day by day.

The future looks bright for the class of 2024. Most of us know what we are doing after graduation, and whether you plan to go to college, jump into the working world or take a gap year; this is the beginning of our adult lives.

I am excited for college. I am going to Stevens Institute of Technology to play volleyball for the reigning DIII national champions, with a five-minute subway ride to the heart of New York City. But unexpectedly, I am also devastated to leave behind the life I have built for the past 18 years. I know I will come back for breaks and hang out with my friends and family like nothing ever happened, but I love the people I have here.

As for romantic relationships, maintaining a long-distance relationship is not viable for the vast majority of people. Those who are in a relationship and will split ways when college begins understand the dreadful feeling of knowing that it will all be over one day, not too far in the future.

To some degree, we are all nervous about college. If a senior tells you they are not even the slightest bit nervous about college, they are lying to your face. College requires students to be way more independent than they ever have been before, especially when it comes to things like accountability, problem-solving and financial responsibility. Although I know I will be fine, I am still nervous about being on my own.

I am also nervous about meeting new people and my roommate situation. I am fairly good at making friends, but it is always nerve-wracking to try and find friends during the first few weeks of college, per my friends from the class of 2023. Fortunately, I will have the volleyball team as a built-in friend group of sorts, but I still stress about my potential room- mate being annoying and/or smelly.

This feeling is quite a challenge to articulate, and that is about as good as it is going to get. If you are not a senior, you will just have to wait and see for yourself. Seniors, I know there is a huge mix of emotions that greatly differs from person to person, but we will persevere through the challenges ahead and for many years to come.

Here is my advice to all of you students:

Freshmen:

You are so close to being done with your first year of high school. How does it feel? Take a minute to reflect on the year and all the fun times you had. Your high school journey has just begun, but it flies by much faster than you can ever antici- pate. This is your time to find friends to share your journey with. Introduce yourself to people you haven’t met before. Get out of your comfort zone. And most importantly, your grades matter just as much now as they will junior year. If you want to go to a good school, the work starts now. But no need to stress about college; you have so much time. Just keep those A’s on Skyward.

Sophomores:

Congratulations! You are almost halfway through high school. Weird, isn’t it? Hopefully, you made it through Driver’s Ed without an accident. You are about to be upperclassmen. Are you ready? Junior year is notoriously the toughest year of high school. Be prepared for more work and make time for said work. Time management is the key to success in junior year. Do not let yourself get overwhelmed, as it is tough to catch up. If you do fall behind, don’t stress too much about it, just take a day to get completely up to speed. Once you all become upperclassmen, you will inherit more responsibility and trust. Do not abuse it. Set an example for those younger than you.

Juniors:

You are almost done with the most intense year of high school! Four more weeks and you will be seniors. The first three years flew by looking back, didn’t they? I wouldn’t stress about college yet, even though I’m sure most of you are. It wouldn’t hurt to make a list of schools you might want to check out. If you have already visited college campuses, you are ahead of the game! If not, that is totally fine too. You are not behind. As seniors, your counselors will guide you through the college application process from start to finish. I would recommend that once you finalize the list of colleges you want to apply to, copy and paste all the free response questions you have to answer from every college in a single Google doc. This really helped me stay organized and on top of all the essays and respective due dates. Enjoy this upcoming year. It will be over before you can blink. This is the last year you will be around your friends, so make the most of every second.

Seniors:

We did it. A few AP tests for some and a handful of finals for all, and we are done; done with high school. Forever. Isn’t that a weird feeling? For me, it’s bittersweet. About 30% bitter, 70% sweet, to be exact. Before it is over, take a look back at all you have accomplished in your high school career. All the friendships you have formed, all the memories you have made, and all the fun times you had. As this chapter in our lives comes to an end, a new one begins. It is almost time for us to split ways and venture out into the world on our own paths. We have spent the past 18 years building a foundation for who we are to become, and I cannot wait to see where everyone ends up. It has been a fun ride, and I thank each and every one of you for making my high school experience what it is.