Dear High School Senior by Fiona M. '20

(Step 1a would be to buy a book if you do not own one). These things can be pretty good, especially when you don’t have to write a five-page in-depth analysis on the tone of the main character’s dog’s whimper.

You are creative. You can do things. I know it. Does your cat/dog need a house? Build it a cat/dog house! Do you need a particle accelerator? Build a particle accelerator! (Don’t know how to build a particle accelerator? That’s okay, because the internet is a helpful thing!) (Don’t want a build a particle accelerator? That’s okay too, I guess.)

How else are you ever going to contribute to the conversation of some random strangers speaking in German on the train if you don’t know German??!! (I recommend Duolingo for all your language-learning needs.)

(Wait, am I actually telling you to prepare for college?? 12th grade me probably would disregard this point but 13th grade you might regret not reading it.) Anyways, this encompasses multiple things. (P.S. Even if you’re not legally an adult, you cannot use “LOL I’m not 18 yet” as an excuse for not doing laundry (which brings me to point a).)

• Laundry

  As much as I know you want to live your whole life never having to pick up that terribly heavy pile of dirty clothes in your room and lug it all the way to a laundry machine and put it in the laundry machine and add some detergent and press a button and then take your laundry out and switch it to the dryer and press another button (I just taught you how to laundry you’re welcome), in college, this is a necessary skill.

• Cleaning

  Yeah… This is on here because that even though you deny it to your peers I know there exist some of you who simply don’t clean. Honestly, you probably won’t be cleaning much in college either, but at least know that sometimes you need to go a little bit further than Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.

• Cooking

  Ok, so this skill isn’t actually essential (yet) especially if you plan on eating at the dining halls a lot, but it would be helpful to know at least one meal. (Maybe I’m only saying this because I can’t really cook myself and I’ve survived this much, but props to the people who can actually cook, I envy you a lot).

It may seem far away now, but next year is just around the corner. Pay close attention to this especially if you’re moving farther than a quick drive from home.

• Talk to your family

  Hug them a lot. Listen to what they say. Be nice. (YEah I’m actually saying this).

  • Hug your dog.

    Trust me, you’re gonna miss him too.

• Talk to your friends (be social!! :0).

  Spend lots of quality time with these people! Complain about things and bond even more over mutual dislikes.

• Eat home-cooked meals

  Like your sister’s Famous Square Burritos (okay, that might just be my sister, but there’s gotta be some sort of Family Member’s Famous Food you can’t live without).

• Also eat your favorite local restaurant’s meals.

  Words cannot describe how much I miss the In-N-Out Double-Double with animal fries and a vanilla shake.

• Go to your hometown landmarks.

  Do you really live in Hollywood if you’ve never hiked to the Hollywood sign?

eeeexxxxppplllooooorrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee woooooooooo

Looking back, I definitely did not get enough sleep in high school. I’d go to bed around 1 am every day and wake up at 6:30 am. THIS IS NOT VERY GOOD. If that (or less) sounds like your sleep schedule I highly recommend getting some more. Protip: naps are actually pretty cool and not just for toddlers (don’t believe me? Wait until next year, you’ll see).

My roommate told me to add this. I agree; dancing is good.

This is your last year of high school. Enjoy it! Definitely don’t slack off on your work, but don’t let work be the only thing you do. Make the most out of your final months as a senior.