Last week, the ILS Instagram page posted a #ThrowBackThursday pictures of our seniors. Each post had pictures of a Senior now vs when they were Freshman back in 2017!

Although time flies, the post had four of our ILS Seniors: Gabriella Esposito, Alessandra Fernandez, Victoria Moriera and Melanie Redmond.

As students, we go through many changes from the beginning of high school all the way to graduation. We change in not only our academics but also physically, in appearance, and in maturity.

Freshman year of high school is all about firsts, many of which are academic. For many students it’s the first time they change classes for each period, which means they have to develop good time management and organizational skills.

It may also be a freshman’s first time in classes with upperclassmen, especially in electives like P.E. or Art. And you also find out very quickly that the pace of high school is completely different than middle school: projects are different, papers require more critical thinking, deadlines come faster, and assignments are just overall more demanding.

And, of course, senior year is full of lasts: last first day of school with your BFFs, last game, last school play, prom, and, finally, graduation. They’re bittersweet times, but they can also be some of your most cherished memories.

That adjustment period is long over by junior or senior year. The confusion of where your classroom is or how to maneuver around school fades away. A lot of the excitement about high school fades away too, especially when you become a senior and you have to face the struggles and stress of applying to colleges while balancing all your other extracurricular and academics.

There’s also senioritis, the horrible feeling that often comes after getting college acceptances. You feel like you’re on autopilot till graduation. Why keep trying in your classes when your future is already decided? Plus, it’s exhausting to continue working after a long four years of high school and you’re totally distracted by the excitement/fear about leaving to college.

“I have learned that no matter how hard it gets just keep going because it is so worth it to reach out to the end,” said Redmond.

Of course, though a little senioritis probably won’t hurt you, but it’s important to not YOLO it till the end of high school. Failing your classes can led to bad consequences, like missing out on scholarship opportunities or maybe even losing your college acceptances. Graduation will come soon enough, trust me you can make it until then!

There are so many things you learn in high school. From evolving friend groups, to creating your own work ethic, and to finding what you are passionate about. We learn about others views on the world and we learn life lessons from things we never expected.

So while freshmen are looking ahead and planning what they want their high school experience to be, seniors are looking back at their memories. Most are reminiscing at the last four years and amazed at how quickly it went by.

But seniors are also looking ahead to their futures, whether it’s college, work, or a combination of these things.

“My perspective on life has changed since my freshman year. I have learned that life is too short. I also learned to not take everything so seriously and most especially to live in the moment,” said Fernandez.

As a freshman, you’ll probably hear something like “enjoy these years—they fly by” dozens of times, but that’s because they do. High school is an exciting, confusing, and stressful time, but they are four of the most important years of your life.

So enjoy them because they do fly by.