Lillian Grissom  

            Your senior year marks the end of your high-school career. It marks the end of your childhood in a way that is much different from just turning 18. It marks a transition in life that can never be reversed. Is it really as memorable and magical as people say? Do you really have to have it all figured out?

     A lot of people believe that this is supposed to be magical and some will push for it to be. It doesn’t have to be forced to be that way. I believe that it is what you make of it, and you shouldn’t overwhelm and pressure yourself into making memories and trying to find that magic that people tell stories of. I have tried to do this because I was told I needed to, and it just leads to pressure and guilt. 

       A lot of people talk about making every moment big and use every minute that you can, but I’ve realized there is value in just being present. When you are not focused on how to make everything great, you can have those experiences in an authentic and more lasting manner. 

      Adults often say that us as seniors should have our lives figured out by now, but we don’t need to have everything planned now. When listening to teachers’ and families’ stories, I’ve realized just how much time we have to figure everything out. Sometimes when people think they have their whole life planned, something comes along to change that. I think seniors especially struggle with the illusion that you have to stick to one thing and stay in it for the rest of your life but it’s not the case. 

There’s also a general academic pressure to succeed and to maybe further your education. That’s a big reason why we are pressured to know what to do with our lives so early, so that we can either jump into a career or get more schooling. The truth is: you don’t have to do this right now. So many people change paths and decide to go to college at any adult age. There is time to stop and look over your options. 

Life is not about working, it’s about having experiences. A lot of seniors, I especially, struggle with the thought that I have to pick one career and work for the rest of my life. It doesn’t seem like a good way to live. I think we need to remind ourselves that our career doesn’t define who we are, and we can still have these experiences. I think because of school being the only thing we know and the pressure to know everything, that it pushes this idea and fear further and further. 

Don’t worry about the negative people around you that you might never see again. Let yourself live in the present with the people you care about. Push yourself to those new experiences, not because you feel pressured to, but because you want to. Allow yourself to sit and breathe when things in your life become overwhelming, and remind yourself that you have time. Be here now.