As I sit writing this column, it’s hard for me to believe that I have only five more full days of high school left. High school, for me, was quite a ride filled with many ups and downs.

Freshman year was as you might expect. I made more than a few dumb freshman mistakes as I attempted to find a home or community for myself somewhere at South. I’m sure most of us know what posting an embarrassing Facebook status that comes back to haunt you feels like.

Highlights of freshman year include going to a South football game—the first and only time I ever did—and Dr. Shellard’s “I climbed a mountain, so here’s how to study for finals” assembly.

Sophomore and junior year sort of blended together in a haze of ACT preparation and US History, as I’m sure many of you can identify with. Late nights were common and stress levels were high.

The first and only time I ever stayed up past two in the morning was sophomore year, actually. Junior year was nothing compared to the AP Euro and Precalc Honors classes I took sophomore year. Most juniors out there wouldn’t agree, but my stress level has wonderfully declined since sophomore year.

As for senior year, well, let’s just say that everything they say about senioritis is true.

Over the course of the last three—almost four—years, I’ve found a home on the debate team with more amazing people than I can count, I’ve changed lives with Stand for Peace and I’ve found a way to be opinionated without offending too many people, right here on the pages of the Oracle.

There have, of course, been downs along with the ups, like every single time I put aside my misgivings and tried the cafeteria pizza again. It couldn’t get worse, right? Wrong. And don’t even get me started on trying to get out of the senior lot at 3:20—It’s like Lord of the Flies out there, people.

In all seriousness, I definitely wish I had gotten more involved earlier in high school. I should have gone to Jamnesty more than once and gone to more football games, or been adventurous and taken Ceramics or some other class out of my comfort zone.

I know everyone says that they wished they’d gotten more involved in high school. Hint: that’s because it’s true. Take this opportunity to experience as many amazing things as possible.

I’ll be spending the next four years at Northwestern University, and I couldn’t be happier. However, I’m also more than a little bit nostalgic about my four years at South, because this school really is an amazingly supportive environment with more opportunities than can be counted.

I’m sure many of you are excited to be getting out in the next couple years, on to college and beyond, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But enjoy what you’ve got while you have it, because these years go by way too quickly.