If only my life were a movie. It would start with having fun and dancing and it would end with partying and singing in the rain. If only my life were a movie; the kind that never showed the protagonist studying or applying for colleges. Where I didn’t have to work to save up money and would never fail my drivers’ test.  If only my life were a movie.

But my life isn’t a movie.  Studying, applying for colleges, working and trying not to fail drivers’ tests are a must. And to be honest, it sucks. The feeling of indestructibility and a sense of near-immortality seems to be a rite of passage for teens, but what happens when the realization sets in that none of these feelings are accurate?

“You don’t think about college and SATs as a freshmen [because] you still have four years… then bam it’s here,” junior Reagan Nohrenberg expressed.

This is not just true for SATs and college applications either. There is a long list of things that have to be done and I don’t feel prepared for any of them. By the end of 2022, I will have applied and (hopefully) been accepted into college, landed a job, moved out of the house, bought my own pots, pans, plates and many other things that are just too much for my recently turned 17-year-old brain.

I am terrified.

What happened to those freshmen all those years ago whose only fear was getting lost in their new high school? I don’t think I would go back even if I could, but I envy their life free of the rapidly approaching responsibilities.

Luckily, the resources we have available to us make up for the lack of a time machine.

“My big advice would be to make to-do lists and set goals,” French teacher Natalie Chabot explained. “It’s really important to use the time that you have efficiently. You don’t want to miss out on high school experiences that you want to have because you prioritized other things in the moment. Also, SLEEP. Please. For the love of everything, go to bed.”

We have teachers and parents to help us navigate the scary responsibilities of junior and senior year. What makes it even better is that they have already been there!

“I was that kid who had a job, played sports, and took hard classes, so by my senior year, I was definitely starting to burn out,” Chabot added.

We can turn to our counselors and other staff who have mountains of resources to help our transition run a little smoother.

Although sometimes I think my life would be easier as a movie, I am glad that I have so many opportunities available for me, and I have the chance to grow up and live my own future. Though the songs that preach never growing up are appealing, in the end, I am more excited to grow old than stay a teenager!