Sparkling prom dresses with matching bow ties, graduation caps thrown in the air and the best year of high school. These all have come to define senior year, since the days where we were watching High School Musical on Disney Channel, for every class of seniors across the United States. 

The class of 2020, despite expectations, did not get to experience this. 

The prom dresses and ties have been hung up, and the graduation caps and gowns are sitting in our closets, collecting dust. 

It is not just the experiences that we lost. It was the knowledge that we would do these things with the friends we made over the past four years. Taking photos with your friends, laughing at your banquets, all of it, has been lost, with no guarantee of possible redemption. 

The one thing it’s taught us: Do not wait until the last moment. 

It seems like high school is full of procrastination, putting off essays and assignments until 10 minutes before the deadline. While this is definitely not advisable, another thing that should not be procrastinated is your full enjoyment of the high school experience, is also something a lot of high schoolers do. 

We tend to say, “Oh, I’ll focus on only school work until senior year, then I can truly enjoy senior year.”  It’s valid reasoning, except for two things: This often leads to burnout during your other years of high school, and there’s no guarantee your senior year will turn out the way you expected.  

While there may be some experiences that you have to wait until your senior year to do (such as senior overalls) it’s important that you remember, regardless of whether you are a freshman or a senior, to take part in the fun experiences that define high school, instead of waiting until your senior year. 

As the class of 2020 has learned, you never know what might happen. 

Alongside that, we tend to push off the recognition of our achievements until the end. Take the time to recognize the A you just pulled on that difficult test, or really anything amazing. Putting so much onto your senior year can actually make senior year harder, as you try to fit in every recognition and every good experience in one year. 

Appreciate your high school experience through every year of high school. Each year of high school offers an opportunity for growth and learning, and focusing on more than just school helps you achieve that. 

So, regardless of whether you are a freshman, a sophomore, a junior or a senior, take the time to make room for more than just studying and doing homework. Go out with your friends, go to homecoming and prom and remember that when you look back on high school, you’ll be able to find the fun in each year.