Yiyi Zhang

Remember when your upperclassmen friends warned you that high school goes by in a flash? You blink and suddenly everyone is worrying about FAFSA and PIQs. The awkward freshman you used to know is now captain of the sports team they have been on for the past four years. Senior year is a blend of reminders of our accomplishments and failures. From finally meeting that November first deadline on the Common App, to nearly failing your very first AP Economics test.
One moment, you are filling out applications and describing why a penny makes up your identity. Next, you are at a football game in the student section with people you have known since elementary school, realizing these are some of the last times you will all be in the same place. You start to appreciate the teachers who have helped you on their lunch breaks and the teachers who have made you feel loved. Even the walk from Indian Hill to the parking lot starts to feel cinematic, like you are entering a new chapter in life.
The thing about senior year is that it is not really about being ready. It is about learning to be okay with not being ready. College Apps are stressful, and senior ditch day is all fun, but the clock is running. Senior year will come to an end, and it is approaching quicker than you think. Somewhere between the application deadlines, last rallies, and late-night sidequests, something shifts. Whether you are ready for it or not, time is running out. Make the most of the little time you have left. So go out and live a little, take risks, and study hard. So, ready or not, here we go.