Do you have any advice for the future freshmen or underclassmen?

   “Grades are important. But so is your mental health. Take care of yourself and surround yourself with people who encourage you to work hard and be happy. Enjoy the next few years. Make good memories. You can never go back.”

  “Don’t be ‘too cool’. Get involved!”

“One thing I can say is, never stop learning. You can never know too much. The halls of this school are changing every day. Look out for people. Be the best you can. You are the future.”

“Don’t put an outrageous amount of stress on yourself. Make sure you are putting your happiness as well as your stability first. Don’t take on more than you can handle. Follow YOUR dreams and not dreams others force on you.”

“Do as much as you can, it really is over in the blink of an eye. ”

Is there anything you regret not doing in high school?

“I regret not joining more clubs earlier on.”

“I regret not taking Brian Salge’s class.”

“I regret not trying harder. I regret not being everything I could he and not pushing myself as hard as I possibly could.”

“I regret not participating in sports.

“I regret not going to more school events.”

How do you manage your time between having a social life, school, and extracurricular activities?

“I make sure to use the classes I have at school. If we aren’t doing anything and I have free time l will work on homework and get done what needs to be done. Spend an hour to an hour and a half at home. DON’T stay up at all hours.”

“It’s all time management really. Just budget yourself certain amounts of time for each thing. Like maybe hangout with your friends for an hour or two after school and then get home to work on some homework so you don’t have to stay up till 2 a.m. lol :’-)”

“Do homework as soon as you get home from practice. If you don’t do it then, you never will.”

Is there anything you suggest underclassmen get involved in?

“More clubs and organizations. Gather as many cords and stoles and community service opportunities as possible. Work with local businesses or your local church more to further your own educational goals. It gives you more college opportunities.”

“Get involved in SOMETHING. Don’t do nothing!”

“Get involved in any clubs or organizations you think you’ll like. You’ll enjoy it and develop great friendships.”

“Find your passion and pursue it. Don’t let anyone hold you back from what you want to do. Seize the Day. Make it yours. ‘Love the life you live, live the life you love.’ -Bob Marley”

A letter from a senior:

Dear underclassman,

You’re so excited to be a senior. Ready for prom, and college, and parties, and getting out of high school. And who can blame you? We’ve all been there, when high school looks a million miles long and you feel like you’ll never leave.

Senior year is amazing. It’s freeing. Half the time you don’t come to school, and if you do, you’re in sweats. Really, you’re on top of the world.

But.

Senior year is bittersweet. Everyone says that, and you just shrug it off, because what do we know, right?

Let me tell you what it’s like.

Your last first day of school. The smells of pencils and notebook paper, of the carpet and computers, of the people in the hallways. The chaos of passing periods, the cafeteria. Fire drills and lockdowns and tornado drills with sixty of your closest friends huddled in a bathroom. Debating about whether or not you really need to go to first period, because you really need those Chicken Minis and if you don’t get them, you might die. Never again.

This is what it feels like.

Your last high school sports game. Front rows of the student section all season long. Chanting and yelling and face painting. Some nights it’s warm. Others, bitterly cold. You get to wear your letterman, feel it’s leather holding you together, finally, your team loses and you realize: Never again.

This is what it feels like.

Athletes on the field, court, track for the last time. Running or hitting, hearing the crowd yell, shouting at your teammates, shouting at you. Abs from laughing in the locker room, slipping your jersey on over your head, lacing up your shoes. Pre-game lectures. You’ve never felt more pumped in your life. Now the court is empty. The field is dark. The game is over. Never again.

This is what it feels like.

Your last winter break. Celebrating the holidays with your family, your friends. Who knows what you were talking about then, but from now on, it will be “how have you been” and “what are you up to at *insert college here*” and “I missed you so much”. Those quiet nights alone in your room watching Netflix, taking for granted the loved ones less than a few steps away. Never again.

This is what it feels like.

Everything you’ve ever known. Hot pockets in the freezer. Chips in the pantry. Glasses in the cabinet next to the microwave- the one you almost caught on fire when you were 10. The way your dad sits in his favorite chair. The way your mom looks when she gets home from work. Quarreling with your siblings. Getting food on a whim with your best friend. Going on adventures to the railroad tracks. Those people you only talk to in class. Falling into your bed after a night out. Cuddling your cat while you watch TV. Taking selfies with your dog. Knowing your way around, because this where you’ve lived your whole life and as much as you want to get away from high school and all the drama and feelings of being stuck that come with it, this is home. This what you know. This is where you are.

Never again.

Graduation day. The last time you will talk to 90% of the people who know. You’re all wandering around in navy robes and squared off hats. You line up in pairs. You look at the person standing next to you as you walk out. And you know as you accept that piece of paper that isn’t even the actual diploma you’ve worked thirteen years for: Never again.

This is what it feels like.

And you know now that you’re alone in the world and there’s a very big, long life ahead of you and you have to face it head on, you’ll have to go out and find a career, learn how to balance a check, make a mortgage work, take out a loan for college. Life is starting, a whole new chapter and you’re leaving everything behind you. Everything is being done for the last time because you’re about to start everything over again and you swear that you remember turning twelve like it was yesterday and are you sure you’re eighteen because you don’t feel ready to do this just yet and then suddenly you’re doing it.

And this is your life.

So before you go rushing through it, remember.

This is what it feels like.

Love,

A Senior.

-McKenna Blair, Wakeland High School