At first you fear that you don’t know that person you just walked past.
You fear the fact that you ran into class at 8:54, just a minute before it started.
You fear the fact that you will forget to do your 45 Membean minutes.

You fear the fact that you have 4 years to find out those names, get to that class on time, and remember those Membean minutes.

Well, let me tell you something, and I know this is cliche, but these 4 years will pass in the blink of an eye.

High school starts off filled with unknowns and “what if’s.” But soon enough those questions will become a thing of the past. You will find your strengths, your weaknesses, your passions, your friends, and overall, discover who you really are. Before you know it, this experience will soon be coming to an end.

When you’re a senior, you constantly try to imagine what college sweatshirt you’ll be wearing, while doing your best to focus on today. You want to work on your college applications, but also spend time with your friends. You want to enjoy every last moment you have walking through that crowded Senior hallway.

You want to have the ability to freeze time, at least just for a little.

So now, before you are the senior who’s freaking out about your future, take control of time before time takes control of you.

Focus on your grades and prioritize them, but also focus on your friendships. If you have a lot of homework this weekend, don’t worry, you can still go to the Village for an hour after school on Friday. Try not to stress about the history quiz you have first period on Thursday, and if you do find yourself stressing, find the friend that will keep you calm and sane.

That friend who kept me sane for my first quiz as a Freshman still keeps me level headed today. Those hours I’ve spent at the Village with friends where we’ve just walked from restaurant to restaurant debating where to eat, have been filled with some of my most fond memories.

It’s hard to leave the questions of the unknowns and “what if’s” from freshmen year unanswered, and wait for time to answer them. But time will answer them soon enough. Time will help you realize how to study for those weekly quizzes. Time will help you find those friends that you miss like crazy during days apart. Time will move faster than it ever has before.

The clock started running the moment you first walked through the school doors, so don’t let a second of it go to waste. You can’t pause the clock, but you sure can make the most of every millisecond.