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This senior year has been a wonderful experience, but not without its ups and downs. When I first started my senior year at Hinckley-Big Rock, I was set on putting my head down and pushing through every last second of each semester. The promise of the college experience, finally graduating, and leaving Hinckley was the only thing keeping me motivated. Each day seemed to last an eternity with every passing second seeming longer than the last.

However, my mind started to change by the end of the golf season. Surrounded by some of my closest friends and our coach Mr. Olsen, I realized that there were certain parts of high school that I would miss. But it soon faded and the seven months left in the school year still sat heavy in my head.

Then at the end of the basketball season while we all sat in the locker room after a hard loss, I once again realized that I may miss being part of HBR. As all the players sat in tears, embracing each other and expressing how much we mean to each other, it hit me that this is my last year with the people I have spent the last 13 years with.

 It was after that day that each day started to go by faster than the next. As I looked around, I saw faces that I may never see again and realized the sad but true reality that many of these relationships I hold so dear will diminish.

Now, in these final two weeks of my senior year, I've started to regret the attitude I started the year off with. I wish I could have grown closer bonds with the teachers that do so much for us. I wish I would've spent more time with my classmates. I wish I could do it all over again.

If I have one piece of advice for next year's seniors, it would be to truly embrace everything you have gained from your years in high school as it will be over sooner than you think. You'll hear the phrase “It goes by faster than you think” a lot and not believe it. I didn't believe a word of it, but it's the truth.