“After this, we’re done right?” “This is the last thing we have to do!” “After this we’re free!” With no hyperbole, I can safely say that my friends and I have texted each other these lines hundreds of times over our four years at LM. Without fail, every time promises of the end of hard work, stress, and studying left our mouths, a new exam, competition or final would pop up on our calendars. Somehow, even as time dragged the most tedious tasks to the past, our shoulders never felt unburdened and the future never looked free from onerous events.
I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes high school was not a lot of fun. But looking back, my happiest memories were not ones where I sat at home, relaxing after a final, but rather spending time with my best friends in the very halls of LM. I remember sharing earbuds that blared a podcast whilst frantically writing a paper with a friend, more than I remember the grade I received on the paper itself. I remember vigorously competing to complete the NYTimes Mini Crossword in room 220 under the watchful eye of Mr. Stettner, not the Calculus test I took afterwards. I remember seeking solace from stress on my best friend’s living room carpet, giggling through the AM hours on a school night, but I cannot recall what we were so stressed about.
All this to say that high school is overwhelming, but you should still strive to stop and smell the roses. Because the bad parts of high school are only temporary, and never as bad as they may seem. I know this sentiment doesn’t necessarily alleviate any of your worries about AP exams, college essays, or that grammar mistake in your English paper, but remember that the memories are just as important as the diploma you will one day receive from LM.
For seniors, the anticipated summer before college is before us: the summer of pool parties, minimum wage jobs, and road trips. And if I’m speaking honestly, without the pressures of school before me, I feel a little lost. Like Gucci Mane once said: “If a man does not have sauce, then he is lost. But the same man can get lost in the sauce.”
