To the freshman class:

Welcome to high school! These next four years will either be the best or the worst years of your life: you decide whether you want to look back on high school with a smile or a frown. Speaking from experience, I can say that freshman year was easily the best year of high school so far. I made many friends, joined clubs and sports teams and overall had a lot of fun. With this in mind, I advise you youngsters to GET INVOLVED. Lastly, please remember that this year will be your easiest year of high school (it is all uphill from here). Use the time you have to enjoy yourselves. Make friends!

To the sophomore class:

Sophomore year is that weird time when you are no longer a wide-eyed freshman, yet you are not a stressed-out junior either. My sophomore year was defined by interesting classes (I joined newspaper and took AP Government) and Spotify. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I listened to Spotify every day for an entire year. With this in mind, remember that there is still work to be done. Just because you are a sophomore does not mean that you can slack off. Keep your grades up, start to think about college stuff (maybe do some research but no pressure) and start preparing yourself to become a junior. Remember to have some fun. Do not let stress take over everything just yet (save that for next year) and keep in mind that, in reality, you still have plenty of time to worry.

To the junior class:

Junior year is a grind from the first day of school to the last. I am being very blunt because that is the honest-to-goodness truth: these next ten months will be an absolute hellhole of work and stress. Do not be surprised to have multiple late nights preparing for your next presentation in English and cramming for a test and two quizzes the next day, all the while stressing out because you have not signed up for an SAT date. My advice is to experiment with different sources of caffeine. In my case, I discovered that my one true love is sugar-free Coke Zero. Find what works for you. Power through, brother, because there are still three more periods to go. However, do not let junior year consume you. Keep staying involved in stuff that you love so that you can destress and maintain sanity. Junior year is exhausting, but it goes by extremely fast. When you look back on it next June, you will be tired but oddly satisfied.

To the senior class:

Many of my since-graduated friends have told me that the first semester of senior year is harder than all of junior year. This makes sense considering we have a massive workload combined with the herculean task of completing college applications. The biggest thing for us to remember is that high school is not over yet. There are still classes to attend, homework to do and tests to take. Believe me, I want to succumb to senioritis just as much as the next guy, but we can not let these lazy thoughts get to our heads too quickly. Instead, we should cherish our last year of high school. Our last Homecoming, our last Yorktown game, our last sports practice and our final moments of high school are all quickly approaching. Keep in mind that in less than a year, we will be shipping off to colleges and careers. We are now the seniors that we have always wanted to be. Let’s go out with a bang and show the world WHAT WE ARE MADE OF!