When I see my friends' all I can think about are the great memories and little moments that represent me. Most people think of grades and discipline when they think of school, but there is so much more to it. The relationships I have created in school molded me into who I am today.They changed my humor, my outlook on life, in tremendous ways. My friends have a huge influence on me than I have ever realized before. From clothes to hobbies and so much more there are always more and more things influencing me as a person. If they are unmotivated,I am unmotivated; if they work hard, I work hard. 

Being a student in 2024 is harder than ever before. The constant social scene of high school is becoming more important than academics itself. The constant worry of judgment is apparent in everyday life. And,Social media is the biggest influence of them all. I can't even take a picture anymore without a swarm of my friends asking to see themselves in it. 

“Don't post that.”

“Delete it.”

It is easy to get caught in the mindless loop of living for others. Not doing what makes me happy is something I have fallen victim to. Judgment is everyone's biggest fear. 

I can never forget about the good times:those little moments in lifeI think about when I  am trying to fall asleep. These are the moments that I will remember forever. It's as simple as screaming at the football games, or sitting outside gazing upon a dim orange sunset with rays of pink shining through.  Then it's time for goodbyes, saying that word has been some of the hardest moments of my life. Watching my friends leave, off to bigger and better things, it's come to reality that it is no longer “See you later” it is “goodbye, and thank you for everything.” As I have grown up, I've realized all of those little moments were taken for granted. I always wanted to just grow up and focus on the next part of my life, when the most important part was right under my nose the whole time.