By Savanah Huffman
Senior year is arguably the most important year of high school. It’s the year when life starts to become truly serious. Senior year is the year for major decisions and forming paths to the future. It is supposed to be the longest, most exciting year of high school, but somehow it feels like it disappears in the blink of an eye. I used to think graduation felt forever away. Now, after just going to prom and realizing I will graduate in only two weeks, it honestly feels unreal. Everyone always says, “Enjoy it while it lasts,” but you never really understand what they mean until senior year is almost over.
One reason senior year goes by so fast is because everything is happening all at once. The beginning of the year feels exciting because you finally made it, it’s the beginning of the end. You are finally a senior after looking up to the older students for years. Football games, homecoming, senior nights, pep fests, and all the traditions make the first semester fly by. At Fillmore Central, school events bring everyone together, and it feels like every week there is something new going on. One minute you are taking first-day pictures with your friends, and the next thing you know, people are talking about graduation caps and college plans.
Another reason senior year moves so quickly is because seniors are constantly busy. Between homework, sports, activities, jobs, scholarships, and trying to spend time with friends and family, there is barely any time to slow down. Everyone is trying to figure out what they are doing after high school, which makes life feel stressful and exciting at the same time. Teachers keep reminding us that we are almost adults, and suddenly every decision feels important. Even though there are still assignments and tests, it is hard not to spend class time zoning out and thinking about the future.
Prom especially made senior year feel real to me. Prom is one of those events you spend the whole year planning and stressing about then suddenly it is over in one night. Getting ready with friends, taking pictures, dressing up, and dancing all felt so special because we knew these moments would never happen again in the same way. Looking around at everyone at prom, I realized we have all grown up together. We went from awkward middle school kids to seniors about to graduate. That realization honestly hit harder than I expected. Prom was fun, but it was also emotional because it reminded me that this chapter of life is ending.
I think another reason senior year feels fast is because of the emotions that come with it. There is excitement about the future, but there is also sadness about leaving behind what has always been familiar. At a smaller school like Fillmore Central, everyone knows each other, and many of us have been together since kindergarten. It is strange thinking that in two weeks we will all go very separate directions. Some people are leaving for college, some are starting jobs, and others are still figuring things out. Knowing things will never be exactly the same makes every moment feel more important, which somehow makes time move even faster.
Even the little things suddenly matter more during senior year. Walking through the halls, sitting in the student section, joking around before class, and hearing teachers say “good morning” are things I used to take for granted. Now I catch myself realizing these are some of the last times I will experience them. Senior year teaches you that time moves quickly whether you are ready for it or not, which I think is a hint at adulthood.
Looking back, I understand why people say senior year flies by. It is filled with memories, emotions, celebrations, and endings all packed into one year. A senior getting ready to graduate in just two weeks, I can honestly say senior year has been the fastest year of my life, (which my life still has many years ahead of me). Many more experiences and things to learn. Senior year shaped me as a person which will now shape my adulthood.
Savanah Huffman is a Fillmore Central High School student, one of 10 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 27th year.
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