Senior learns to value high school

Consistency is a crucial component for me.

Growing up, I never cared much for roller coasters, as the unexpected drop or twist during the ride made me anxious. This year felt like an emotional roller coaster for me.

Senior year is the year where you get to be frontline at the sporting events, the year where you get to take the electives you have always heard about and is the year where you get to come to school a period later than the rest of the kids because you’ve done your time and now you need your sleep.

This year, I decided to skip most of that and participate in the College Credit Plus Program. I never realized how important this decision would be for me.

Every other day, I would make my way to Orrville for my Wayne College classes. At the beginning of the year, it bothered me that I could not roam the WHS kingdom with my friends, but within a couple of weeks, I felt perfectly acclimated to Wayne and my new classmates.

I found that I very much enjoyed going to school with no makeup and no worries of who I am going to see or meet.

It is college and, really, everyone seemed to be running on a can of RedBull and four hours of sleep.

Making the decision to go to Wayne was a great one for me. The transition college experience taught me discipline and responsibility.

Telling a teacher that I will have the late paper in by the end of the day is no longer a valid excuse as it resulted in a zero.

I was always the student that waited until the night before to start my English assignment, but my college classes did not leave much room for me to use my special procrastination gift.

For a bit of time during my college experience, I felt as though my relationship with my high school friends was being tarnished and I feared that I no longer fit in with them. They were socializing amongst each other and going to the sporting events, while I could barely motivate myself to walk into the school for one period. It was not because I didn’t enjoy my high school experience, but rather that I felt I no longer fit in at the high school.

Recently, I decided that even if I didn’t feel I belonged, I was going to put forth my best effort to be at the school and make the best of these last couple of weeks. I don’t think I realized how vital this was until, really, now.

I reconnected with my friends and only appreciate them more now. By changing my attitude and deciding to ignore my antisocial behavior, I have been much happier with my high school decision.

I will always wonder what my senior year would have been like had I stayed at the high school.

I feel fortunate that I am able to remain close with my lifelong friends while also participating in such a rewarding program.