Four years is a long time. It feels like the rest of your life, when you’re in it. For three out of my four years, I took comfort in blending into the crowd. It wasn’t until Senior year rolled around, when all of a sudden there was a cap on my time here, that I finally started to enjoy myself. I got to know my peers better than I ever have. I knew of these people, but I didn’t know these people, until now. At first, it filled me with regret. This is what I was missing? Why didn’t I do this before? But, I thought about it a little more, and I became satisfied with myself. This was meant to happen. My social development, combined with a newfound positive self image allowed me to enjoy different facets of my life than I used to. Once I realized this, I was able to come to peace with my high school years and become excited for what’s to come, and the people I’ll meet in the future. If you’re reading this, regardless of academic ambition, it does get better. You’ll change as a person without realizing it, and doing so will compliment your situation. You are in control of your life, and high school is only the first step.