Dear Underclassmen: A Letter from Your Seniors

Photo from Clip Art Best.

Maddie Gammon

Two more months. We seniors have two more months of high school. As seniors start the new chapter of life, whether that be committing to a college, finding roommates, purchasing items for our dorms, sending out job applications, going to basic training, or watching our bank accounts plummet, it's only natural to have those “I wish” moments. I talked to my fellow seniors and asked them what they wished someone told them before finishing high school. As you finish your last two months of either your freshman, sophomore, or junior year, try to remember these six life lessons from students who were once in your shoes. 

1. The one thing you will quickly find is that your friends are going to change. Once you enter high school everything changes, especially your friends. The people you have grown up with are going to grow up and you might grow apart. Some people walk into high school and decide to completely reinvent themselves, others decide to stay exactly the same. The one thing that almost every senior could tell you is don’t feel bad when your friend group changes. It doesn’t mean that your past memories don't mean anything; it just means it's time to make some new ones. Don’t hold on to the rope of past friendships–it will only give you a friction burn. 

2. Grades. Hamilton constantly is drilling us on our grades. To their standards, if you don’t take an AP class, you are incompetent. Getting all A’s doesn’t mean you’re smart and getting all C’s doesn’t mean you are dumb. Yes, grades are important; however, so is your mental health. It's okay to take a break from studying and go have fun. Some of your classmates will be in four or more AP classes. DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO THEM! Take the classes that are going to benefit you in the long run. Don’t go taking Calc three if you are planning on going into elementary education. (Take it from a future elementary teacher–you don’t need it.) Take the classes that will help you for college or future careers AND the classes that are best for your mental health. If you do decide to do four AP classes–take a focus! It helps you manage your time. If you decided not to take four AP classes or any at all–don’t sweat it. Grades aren’t everything–trust me. 

3. High school is not as scary as we make it to be in our mind. I remember walking into Hamilton my freshman year and being completely lost. I vividly remember going around the science wing three times to get to my locker which was in the main hallway. High school seems scary and impossible at times. There are so many people in this school and you often feel lost, alone, unimportant. But, I promise you, you aren’t any of those things. I also promise you that at some point in everyone's four years of high school they are going to feel the exact same way you have felt. Sometimes it feels like some teachers and people in general are rooting against you. But most people, coaches, and teachers are super supportive and simply want you to be successful and happy. There will always be jerks, but you learn to distance yourself. Choose to pass on a little kindness (like telling underclassmen that in almost every math class the answers are in the back of the textbook). 

4. The grass is always greener where you water it. If you have a goal, or something you want to achieve no matter how improbable or even impossible it may seem, you can do it. If you take your time to practice, nurture and care for your goals, there is no reason why you can’t achieve them. Put in the hard yards; push harder than everyone around you. If you fall down, get back up and keep working at your goals. There’s nothing better than accomplishing your goals and having something you can look at and say, “I did that.”

5. Most people really could care less what you do with your life after school. It sounds harsh, but very few people care about what school you go to, what job career you pick, or what your life plans are. At Hamilton, there is huge pressure to go to the best college and into the best career path. I promise you no one is going to judge you if you go to WCTC or Madison, the trades, Army, or whatever. We are all so caught up in our own lives wondering if we made the right decision that sometimes we forget other people even exist. Pick a career that you can see yourself going into. And if people doubt you, let them. And then, prove them wrong. 

6. The world isn’t against you. It just might feel that way. If you are struggling, whether that be with friends, relationships, family, stress or whatever–you aren’t alone. Reach out for help. Go to the guidance counselors, a teacher you trust, or a friend and RANT! Let your emotions out and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Seriously, if High School Musical taught me anything it's that we are all in this together. We are all trying to graduate, and we are all on this roller coaster called life together. 

If I can leave you with one overarching life lesson it's this: don’t take life too seriously. Before you know it, you will be a senior applying for colleges, going into your first real adult job, or purchasing items for your new house, and I promise you your bank accounts will start to plummet. As you look back on your four years at Hamilton–I pray you don’t regret a single thing. When you walk out of these halls for the last time in your cap and gown I hope that you have memories to last you a lifetime, experiences and knowledge that can take you anywhere. 

Love, 

Your seniors