Dear SHS Student Body,
As a senior looking back on my high school experience, I have realized that much of it has been a race for me. Trust me, I am not alone. In a nationwide survey, Yale researchers found that about 75% of high school students view their experience negatively. Now, I don’t believe that I am included in that 75%, yet the consensus amongst high school students is that students typically feel “tired,” “stressed,” or “bored” during school.
Now, it is easy to see why. Today, in our society, high school is no longer treated as a place for kids to be kids, to make mistakes, and enjoy the rest of their childhood. It is associated with one’s GPA, SAT score, and the college they will attend.
During my freshman and sophomore years, I did everything I could to get the best grades possible — sometimes at the expense of my relationships. Junior year, I piled on AP classes and SAT studying at the expense of my sleep. This past summer and during the first half of senior year, I spent time grinding away at college applications and anxiously waiting for a decision at the expense of my relationships, time, and mental health.
Ultimately, the joy of what high school is supposed to be has been forgotten, and I’m just realizing it now during January of my senior year. At the end of the day, everyone who wants to go to college will end up where they are supposed to be, so there isn’t any point in thinking about it for four years.
It sounds cliché, but the best part of high school will not be walking across the stage and receiving my diploma. It will be the Mr. Forde handshake in the math hallway; the days with substitute teachers when I goofed off with my friends; the Model UN trips where I met some great friends while traveling all over the world. At the end of the day, high school is about enjoying the journey of growing up, finding yourself, and seeing your best friends every day.
The biggest piece of advice I’ve received as a senior has been to spend more time with friends, because this will be the last time you are together every day–and it could not be more true. Right now, I have fewer than 20 weekends left with my friends until graduation, so my message to you, SHS classmates, is to enjoy it. Enjoy the ride–struggles, achievements, and all.
Just yesterday, I was a freshman walking into my first day of school, nervous as can be. In the blink of an eye, I’m an 18-year-old senior committed to college, wondering where the time went. So enjoy it. Enjoy the late nights cramming for a test, the lunch table conversations, and experiences in your favorite class. Ultimately, worrying about the future won’t change it, but it will affect the present.
Sincerely,
Mason Alvarez