As a senior who is graduating in a very short amount of time, I have gathered up a strong four years of advice to get you through, or hopefully help you get through, the crazy world that is high school. For starters, EVERY year matters, freshman year counts as much as sophomore year, sophomore year counts as much as junior year, junior year counts as much as senior year, and yes, senior year definitely does still matter. Study, study, study… do not think that staying after school to get extra help in a class you are struggling in isn’t “cool”, because honestly, as long as you’re passing the class, what does it matter if you’re doing what’s cool or not, because it helps you more than you want to admit it does. If you worry and upset yourself over the fact that your friends may be smarter than you, do not stress yourself out trying to bring yourself to the level that they are on, go at your own pace, it’s fine, you don’t need to take 3 AP classes a year if you know that you cannot handle 3 AP classes a year. Your friends will change, and so will you, that’s how life works. If they change and you notice they are bettering themselves, even if it takes time for them to, do not stop being friends with them, be there for them as they grow. Relationships are hard, and unless you actually, truly believe you will marry the person you are with, they’re not worth it, I promise. You only get these four years, one time, do not waste them away chasing after stupid boys or heartless girls. Teachers WILL change your life, if you let them, that’s what they are there for. Take classes you are interested in learning more about. Do not sign up for classes based on what your friends are signing up for, sign up for what you need to take, then sign up for what you want to take, if you happen to want the same thing as your friends, great, if not then oh well, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see them throughout the day otherwise. Make friends with people you wouldn’t otherwise make friends with, you would be amazed by what you learn from them. Join clubs, be involved, go watch sports, go to cookout after the big game because your team just won and you want to celebrate with the whole school, go to parties, make mistakes, and learn from them, hangout with your friends on school nights, get ice cream from McDonald’s at 3 A.M just because you want to even though you know you have school in five hours. Kiss cute boys just because you can. Experience life in ways you wouldn’t normally. Spend a lot of money on your prom dresses, it only happens once, and don’t sell them neither, sure money is nice, but the memories along with it are nicer. Take pictures of everything you think is beautiful. Post as many selfies on instagram as you want to. Be involved, I swear to you it is worth it. Netflix, twitter, snapchat, will always be there but the four years you have within the walls of the high school you’re in are something you will never get back. Enjoy it, because I promise you it goes by quicker than you could ever imagine.