All good things must come to an end: “Friends,” Harry Styles’ luscious locks and my time at Paly. The closer we get to June 1, the closer we get to the departure of the Class of 2016 from this fine institution. In all seriousness, graduation is bittersweet; I have learned so much throughout my four years here, and I know how hard high school can be, so here are some things I have learned throughout my time at Paly.

First off, RELAX. Anyone who has been around me as I have gotten a test back knows I am not good at this. It is easy to get caught up in school, standardized tests, jobs or internships. Though all of these things are important, you need to give yourself time to relax and have fun. Obviously, if you have a huge test coming up that you haven’t studied for, study for it. However, it’s okay to take a break from a full day of homework to hang out with friends or watch TV for even 30 minutes. It won’t impact your grade in a class by any means and it will help you stay sane and be a more relaxed, happier person. As the saying goes, treat yo’ self.

Secondly, do not take the people who support you for granted. Teachers at Paly care so much for their students. Everyone has that one teacher who they can talk to about anything, and finding a professor who cares about you that much is unusual. Tell your teachers how grateful you are for them and what they do for you, and not just on teacher appreciation day. Remember that your parents have been there for you for the good, the bad and the ugly, and though we all get annoyed with them, no one is in your corner more than your parents. Before you leave them, make sure they know how much you love them.

Lastly, everything works out as it should. If you had told me this last year as I was thinking about colleges, or even in March when I was hearing back from colleges, I would have doubted you. Many of you have a dream college that you believe is YOUR school. Many of you will get into your dream school, and congratulations! You worked hard for it and you will do amazing things. However, many of you will get rejected from this dream school, (I fall in this category,) and it sucks. It sucks to feel like your hard work led to failure. However, I realized that because I spent so much time focusing on my “dream school” that I never considered all the other amazing schools that fit me even better. You will find your perfect college because things happen the way they should. It all works out. Let time do its thing.

During my freshman year, a senior told me how fast high school goes by, and I didn’t believe him. As I am weeks away from graduation, I can now say that is the most accurate thing I have heard at Paly. Enjoy your time here; no matter how much you say you hate this school or city, you’ll miss it. Bye Paly Pals, and also go Dawgs!