Looking back at high school, a whirlwind of memories and emotions mesh together. From repping my class color and buying every yellow thing at Party City to enjoying moonlit strolls at prom (well, kinda) and even just taking advantage of the sunny weather by sitting in the courtyard during lunch, positive experiences of high school flood my memory. But I wasn’t always able to let the good times roll. Stressful finals weeks, saying goodbye to older friends at graduation, and even just learning to balance an appropriate workload in my schedules all accompanied challenges that I met on a day to day basis.

Ultimately, these past four years were the biggest times of trial & error, and as cliché as it sounds, they were just the beginning of the rest of our lives. As the Class of 2016 parts ways on May 19 at Clune Area, we’ll exchange tears of sadness over leaving our friends and also tears of joy about finally getting out of this place. Don’t worry, we know you’ll miss us, Juniors.

But the most valuable things I learned throughout senior year were things I wish I knew much sooner. So I asked my fellow seniors, whether they go to Air Academy or live across the country, what pieces of advice they had to share. From academic strategies to keeping the right type of mindset, here are things we wish we had known:

Nicole Miller, Colorado: “School is actually important. I wish I would’ve taken things more seriously throughout the years, but at the same time, don’t miss out on amazing life experiences just because of school. You can make up school work, but you can’t make up memories. Make sure to find a balance, but remember: trying and putting in effort will ALWAYS be cool.”

Jillian Axelrod, New York: “#1: Actually try senior year. Second semester senior doesn’t mean anything because a college can and will withdraw your acceptance. #2: Do your homework. If you don’t listen to #1 then you must do #2 because you need to boost your grades up somehow before all motivation goes down the drain. Good luck.”

Amanda Brown, Colorado: “I wish I had known that in high school it isn’t only important to get to know the people in your grade and other grades, but also beneficial to form friendships with your teachers because they’ve experienced high school before and most times are often willing to be flexible with your needs and want you to do well in their class. If you begin to struggle with the material, you will be more willing to ask questions if you are comfortable with the teacher. Not only that, but teachers provide great advice and their attitude towards you can either make or break your high school experience.”

Caroline Boatz, Colorado: “It never hurts to suck up to the administration. You may be called a brown noser, but we will see who gets the last laugh when you get in trouble for something dumb. But in all seriousness, try hard in school. A balance of work and play is good to learn sooner rather than later.”

Hannah Dalsheim, Virginia: “Build relationships with your teachers because if you know them better, they will be more willing to help you out when life is stressful. Also, think ahead because you’ll need teachers and admin to write letters of recommendation for college, too.”

Makaela Powilleit, Colorado: “Enjoy senior year instead of focusing on how awesome college will be. Go to all the sporting events and hang out with your friends a much as possible because senior year truly does fly by.”

Raquel Arens, Colorado: “Take classes that you’re actually interested in and not ones that all your friends are taking. Make the choices you want to make! Also, don’t let drama or rumors get the best of you. It’s easy to believe lies but it’s also easy to just listen to the truth. If you have a problem with someone, don’t go around the person and for once just sit down and listen. Because almost 95% of the time, everything you were mad about ended up not even being the truth. You only get 4 years and they go fast.”

Emily Messana, Florida: “Buckle down, do your work when it’s assigned, and don’t screw around. School will get a lot tougher if you let it get out of hand. Be in control of your own success. Time management is everything.”

Mikayla Pierce, Colorado: “Throughout high school, there are many moments of tears, laughter, embarrassment, and all of those emotions in between. They all make you who you are, so I say to welcome each moment with open arms and don’t care what a single person thinks of you. These are your years of growth.”

Kelsey McKenna, Colorado: “Be who you are and surround yourself with people that like who you are. And also, kindness never hurts anyone.”

Ashley Davis, Colorado: “These four years set you up for the rest of your life, despite the path you choose, so take in as much as you can. Learn from those older than you and grow from the experiences that you have.”

Jessica McNulty, Colorado: “Make sure that you open yourself up to new opportunities and friendships. Having the right mindset can change your entire high school experience.”

Lauren Bown, Colorado: “Get a partial senior year. Drink lots of coffee. Do things you love.”

Saxon Johnson, Colorado: “Be more involved. Go to basketball games, football games, etc. Do more after school activities!”

Emilie Tranin, Kansas: “Part of high school is having fun. Find friends you care about and enjoy being around. Friends can be the greatest support system you have, so make sure to surround yourself with the right people.”

Vance Harper, Colorado: “Don’t procrastinate, enjoy your years here, and be yourself.”

Christian Wulfkuhle, Colorado: “Get involved. When I was a sophomore, I didn’t know anyone because I wasn’t doing anything, but as soon as I joined cheer and went to the games and socialized with people, I started to have a lot more fun.”

Ari Levenson, California: “Take school seriously and don’t mess around.”

So overall, make sure to find a balance. School is important and seniors seem to regret not trying hard enough in school the most. Study for standardized tests even though you don’t want to, because the higher your ACT score is, the more school options you’ll have and the more scholarship money you’ll get. Try not to skip too much before second semester senior year because trust me, you’ll want to skip just about every day when spring hits; so beyond trying your best (and at least showing up), most importantly: Have fun! Don’t stop living! Try new things! Take yourself out of your comfort zone! Go on adventures! Be open to new opportunities! Find your passions and roll with it! Whether it be skipping school one day to go watch the sunrise, organizing a school-wide petition, auditioning for the school musical, or joining a new club by yourself even if your friends don’t want to, make choices that reflect the person you are and the person who you want to become. Before you know it, you’ll realize that you’re about to graduate too, so try to slow time down and enjoy every moment you have. Kadet pride is special; cherish it. As much of a safety net as you do have in high school with do-overs and parents to help guide the way, you’re also building the foundation for the rest of your life. So make it a sturdy one. Good luck! Peace out, senior year.