Looking back on these four years, what lessons do I take away from high school? It’s a question I’ve been struggling with for the better part of a week as I sit here typing this senior reflection the night it’s due. 

The truth is I don’t know exactly. I’m not sure how to give my high school experience justice in 300 words. High school was, well, it was a lot. 31 classes, 341 classmates, 28 teachers, 5 coaches, and 7 clubs later, I’m left with so many moments to dissect. 

High school seems immune to generalizations. It passed both in an eternity and the blink of an eye. Each year was rich and unique, but, at the same time, exhibited a shared monotony, parts of which I yearned to escape. 

There were good moments and, of course, there were bad. From the weeks you felt on top of the world to weeks that crushed you with continual drudgery to weeks that might have felt suffocating if it weren’t for the thrill of running on pure adrenaline to just about everything in between. Countless memories, observations, and conversations that I’m now just expected to culminate in this 300 word column. 

Well, after four years of meticulously completing all my assignments, following rubrics to the letter, and being accused of perfectionism by the adviser of this very newspaper, I’m drawing the line here. 

Welcome to my modest act of rebellion; I don’t want to write a reflection on my high school experience, a supposed rite of passage and last hurrah for every harby editor. I don’t want to pretend I can fashion a cute but meaningful takeaway in this bite-size form. 

Rather than risk being overly sappy, cliché, or inauthentic, this is all I want to say about high school: Appreciate the people. Get involved. Work hard. Take risks. Listen to good music. Read The Harbinger. For now, I’ll leave it at that. 

Cheers to the future, Class of 2020, it’s been real.