As students grow up, the phrase, "Enjoy every high school moment, it will fly by quick,” starts to get tossed around quite often. I was first told this phrase when I was a freshman in high school at the beginning of the school year in 2020. I never believed anyone who told that high school would fly by fast because in my head I thought. How can four years just fly by fast?

            I went into freshman year scared because I did not know where any of my classes were due to being in a new building. Thankfully I had joined high school dance which meant I had upperclassmen there to help me with all the all the tips and tricks to get me through high school. My dance team would often stretch in a circle at the beginning of practice and talk about the upcoming school year as practices started in mid-July. During one of these practices the team decided to give me - the only freshman on the team at the time - some advice as I was afraid of what to expect my freshman year. As we were going around the circle, a senior that I have looked up to for many years, told me, “Enjoy each high school moment, it will go by before you know it.” This phrase stuck in my mind, although I did not believe her, looking back, she was right, high school does fly by.

Before I knew it my first year of high school was over and summer was coming to an end which meant sophomore year was creeping up. Freshman year was a breeze, which was a lot like eighth grade just with more classes. Sophomore year then came along and was simple, but it also came with more homework – which most students in my grade complained about, but I feel as if they were overreacting. Because for me junior year is when it started to get overwhelming.

 Junior year is when it started to get real, all the kids in my class started to realize they are turning into adults. The start of junior year marks the beginning for college meetings with counselors and gets all students thinking about what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Rounding out junior year really put how much time I have left before going out into the real world as an adult into prospective.

            Which finally leads to senior year - the year of the last. My final year of high school has come, and it feels like just yesterday I was a scared little freshman walking into her first day of classes. Now in less than five months the class of ‘24 will be graduating and going off in separate ways. Graduating is sad to think about but also exciting as to what is next to come. If I could give any advice to any incoming students, my advice would be the same as everyone said to me, the cliché phrase, “Enjoy every high school moment, time flies by before you know it.”