Senior year: Lessons I learned

With my last official day of senior year in the books, I have started looking back at the past year. Although it definitely did not end the way anyone had hoped, senior year was still the best year of high school. Filled with late nights and early mornings there was never a dull moment. I will always remember laughing with my friends at late-night study sessions and the all-nighters pulled in order to finish projects. As I look back I thought it would be appropriate to write about the 12 life lessons I learned during my senior year.

1. Don’t take a nap on the airport floor, and always travel with a straightener

Okay so you would think that it would be common sense for most people to know not to take a nap on the airport floor. Well I am not most people. This November on a school trip to Washington D.C I got sick and pushed myself to act normal. After having a day full of walking around, and taking different journalism classes I found myself to be completely exhausted by the time we made it to the airport. My friends and I found a nice place on the airport floor and no more than 10 minutes later they were taking snapchats of me sleeping on the floor. Looking back now I realize how gross this really was, and honestly it probably just led me to get a bit sicker. However, I did learn a life lesson out of it and know now that I should never ever EVER take a nap on the airport floor.

On the same trip to DC I remember packing with one of my friends via facetime. She made me think I was packing way too much stuff considering that we were only going to be gone for 3 days. She asked me if I really thought that I was going to need to straighten my hair on the 3-day trip considering I never did it for school. Well, what she and I didn’t remember was that I have naturally wavy hair that is gorgeous, however, depending on the weather it tends to do weird things. I decided not to pack my straightener as she suggested and as I look back on the photos from the trip I think about how much I would have loved to have straightener because my hair had become a wavy mess by the second day that we were there.

2. Sleep is not optional

If you asked me a couple of months ago how much I slept I would respond with “sleep is for the weak” or “I’ll sleep when I am dead”. However, I have realized that a lack of sleep leads to being less productive, high-strung emotions, and often sickness. Sleeping is not a waste of time and I have come to make it more of a priority. Although I don’t always get the perfect amount of sleep each night I have realized that I need to get around at least 5 hours to make it a good day.

3. If you want to dress up, dress up if you want to wear leggings and a sweatshirt then wear that.

Most mornings it took me less than 20 minutes to get ready for school. I was the queen of wearing T-shirts, sweatshirts, and leggings. However, on the rare chance, I was up and felt like it some days I would spruce things up a bit and wear a cute top or put on some mascara I would. What you wear is up to you and how you want to feel that day. That’s why it’s important you dress however you feel.

4.Procrastination just leads to staying up till 3 am

I remember one project that kept on getting pushed off. There was always something that was more important than it, a test that needed to be studied for, or a shift that needed to be worked. After procrastinating the project off for a few weeks I ended up realizing it was much bigger then I thought it was. I ended up staying up till 3 am working on the project. What I ended up turning in was good but could have been much better.

5. Don’t be too scared to do something, it’ll just leave you with regrets.

I can be a bit of a worrier. Worried about what a person will think, or what they talk about behind your back. Sometimes I let this worrying get in the way of what I want to do. The day I accepted I can’t control what others think of me and stopped being scared was the day I started to have more fun.

6. It is okay to cry but pick yourself up and move forward

I cried a lot in high school. Tears showed happiness, frustration, sadness, and pretty much every other emotion. I often found myself overwhelmed and just needed to release emotion. I tried to never cry at school but sometimes during my free period I would be talking to my good friends and would just break down, which was okay. It was just important that I picked myself up and didn’t let the little bump in the road ruin my day.

7.You don’t always need to be in control

I’m a bit of a control freak. I have to know whats going on and enjoy being the person in charge. However, I also stress the little things. I have been known to try and do everything. I have trouble letting go of control which leads me to be beyond stressed. The lesson to give up some control has been a hard one for me to accept but I now am realizing that being in control of everything is not good. People are there for you to lean on and it is just as important to ask for help.

8. It is okay to take sick days

I hate missing school so when I get a cold or a cough I like to push through. I have been known to wear myself down till I am so exhausted I can’t do anything. This year I learned the importance of taking a sick day so that you don’t feel sick for weeks on end. Also, it helps everyone else stay healthy.

9. Adventures make the school day more fun

Me and one of my best friends Brigid would have our free periods together and would go on little adventures throughout the school. Sometimes these adventures were exactly what I needed to turn my day around. We would always end up laughing so hard our abs would hurt and go on to our 7th hours smiling.

10. Spending time laughing and talking with friends is not wasting time, it is making memories.

I was busy this year. Between work, dance, school, and just senior year in general everything is crazy. Now I sit here looking through the pictures and videos I took happy for the memories I made with my friends. I am happy for the late-night study sessions and the ice cream runs. Sure the money was nice and dance is something I love but the memories I made are what I am going to cherish when I think back on my senior year. I think now that I may have had the wrong mindset some of the time. The memories are more important and not a waste of time. The work will always be there, attending football games with your best high school friends won’t.

11. Lean on your friends

This kinda goes along with the whole control freak and memory idea. I have trouble giving up control but my friends all know this and are always there for me. They will try to help me with my assignments when I finally admit I need the help or will be just a text away at midnight when I need a pep talk. Throughout high school, I have kinda floated when it comes to friends. However, senior year I found a really good group of friends who I have been able to lean on. We could be celebrating or crying they are always there. A solid shoulder to lean on in the craziness of senior year.

12. You are never to old for something

Don’t think something is dumb or childish if you want to do it then just DO IT This past year my dance friends and I all dressed up for ballet class in our Halloween costumes. We were basketball players, fairies, princesses, role models, or even swimsuit models. For 90 minutes we got to be whatever we wanted to be and escaped the craziness of the world. Looking back now that night was the most fun most of us had in weeks.

13. Bonus: Find ways to relax and decompress

Senior year was stressful, I was busier then I had ever been before, and often found myself beyond stressed. Very early into the year, I realized that I needed to find ways to decompress and relax. Whether it be by watching Netflix, drinking tea, dancing, or yoga. Finding ways to relax is how I made it through my senior year.

Senior year was good to me, and although it ended early due to corona it was one of the best years. I learned more about myself then I knew possible, found some really phenomenal friends (y’ all know who you are), pushed myself, and made the most amazing memories. I definitely learned more than these 13 life lessons but these are the ones that come to mind right away when I look back at the year. Some of these life lessons are light-hearted and some are more serious, however, each one comes with memories good and bad that I will cherish forever.