Summer has to be one of the things students look forward to most toward the end of the school year. Summers are days without homework, stress, tests, and they give us time to relax and prepare for the next school year.

Some summers actually mean more because they are the last moments before huge changes, like the summer before our first year of middle school or high school for example. This summer for me has to be one of the most important. As a senior, this summer could be the last time I see some friends, and the last time I spend lots of time at home. I am preparing for my last few moments being a child. I really hope to spend lots of time doing everything I have been meaning to do: reach every goal, see every friend, and visit every place.

I’ve already started a to-do list for things I want to accomplish and hopefully use to make memories that will last me a lifetime. I feel like especially once we reach senior year, we realize we’ve waited until the last minute to appreciate and cherish the things we have. Many people make friends so late into their high school years, or wait until their senior year to go to dances or participate in school activities. Although I’ve spent my years at school participating in tons of different extracurricular activities and events, I still wish I made more friends and spent more weekends doing fun things.

While things like work and school are important especially during our second semester of senior year, the Class of 2024 needs to remember to spend time with the people they may not see when they graduate and move on to new parts of their lives. It was difficult to decide, but recently, I’ve taken more time off work and I’ve made more of an effort to make sure I thoroughly enjoy and benefit from the memories I can make with the people I’ve come to care about.