Now that I’m a senior, I can confidently say that high school is nothing like TV says it is. When I began my first day of school as a freshman, I was a little disappointed to see that everyone was just like me— confused, scared, and wondering why we already had homework. My freshman year may have gone smoother if I had someone giving me advice about what I should be doing with myself in the next four years. To aid you in the experience that is high school, I asked my fellow Cam High students what advice they wanted you to hear.

“Don’t take loyal friends for granted,” said Zach Ruggiero, senior.

“It sounds really cliché, but join clubs with your friends and do outside activities because I promise it makes high school more memorable when you look back,” said Sarah Gutierrez, senior.

“School is important, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be your life,” said Michelle Yutuc, senior.

“It’s completely okay to not know what you’re doing, just apply yourself,” said Patience Moore, senior.

“Be involved with your class, stay motivated, and try your very hardest not to procrastinate,” said Madison Escobar, senior.

“Be kind. I don’t mean be a ‘nice person’ all the time – that’s impossible. Strive to understand, even if you don’t agree. Strive to be a human who recognizes humanity. Realize there are always others who feel how you feel and be compassionate to everyone in light of this,” said Nikolle Hursham, senior.

“Don’t waste your time worrying about things that won’t matter in a few years. Friends come and go, and that’s okay,” said Logan Porter, senior.

“Set a five-year goal and be ambitious. Stay focused, but enjoy these high school years. Go to sports events, join clubs, and make new friends. Your time is short, so make every moment valuable,” said Mallorie Mehrali, senior.

“Learn how to budget your time and homework so you have time for friends and family,” said Savannah Hunnicutt, senior.

“Have fun during high school because it only happens once, and you want to have these four years to look back on. Don’t let school get in the way of making memories,” said Hedi Zappacosta, senior.

“Alright freshmen seriously, if you join a sport and do it all four years you will have a ton of fun! You make friends really quickly and get to compete. Join a sport,” said Chris Dominguez, senior.

“Work hard, play hard. In a couple of years, you will be seniors and you’ll regret not working your hardest. I swear it will all come back to you. Don’t stress about every assignment because that only makes it worse… and use your time wisely,” said Mariana Aristizabal, senior.

“Try hard in school, it’ll pay off later, but don’t throw yourself away in the process. Enjoy your hobbies, find things you love, spend time with family and friends, and keep your well-being as your own priority. High school can be a pain, but so many experiences come out of it-learn from them and enjoy them,” said Yen Nguyen, senior.

“Make plans that will expand you as a person, don’t let school be your whole world because it doesn’t last forever, that being said, do try your hardest in school because it will help you create a future for yourself with freedom to do as you please,” said Olivia Lloyd, senior.

“Time goes by extremely fast so don’t take anything for granted. Make every second count all four years,” said Shannon Bair, senior.

“By senior year know what you want to do, you don’t want to be caught at graduation with no clue of what you’re going to do next, keep a light plan, it doesn’t have to be set in stone. Don’t get caught up in social aspects but allot some time for fun,” said Khylie Brewer, senior.

“I know you may be stressed out thinking about high school, and in later years you’ll be stressing out about your future and college; however, I am here to tell you to take a breath and remember that high school, and even college, is about trying to find yourself. You’re not supposed to know exactly who or what you want to be yet, and that’s okay,” said Sophia Cortina, senior.

“Cherish every high school experience. You only get to get one freshman year, one sophomore year, one junior year, and one senior year. So I say to you: enjoy. Enjoy the challenges put in front of you. Enjoy the friendships you create. Enjoy the high school experience while it lasts,” said Serena Anaya, senior.

“Life is great. To only sit around and think about the bad, stressful parts of life will get you down and not want to stand back up. Take time to stop and really appreciate the great things in life,” said Isaac Hernandez, senior.

“Be the kind of person that you want, who is respected and valued, not criticized for being annoying. The sooner you learn to act mature and stop caring about popularity, the easier this school will be and the more life skills you will build,” said Morgan White, senior.

As for your 21^st piece of advice, I say it is crucial to prioritize your happiness. As we are growing up and worrying about grades, the future, and friends, it is easy to forget about the importance of our own happiness. Take a break to do what you love. Bask in the sunshine. Go outside when (if) it rains. Listen to a song from 2005. These next four years and forever, you are stuck with yourself. Try to enjoy the life you are living – and if something isn’t making you happy, change it. The older you get the harder it is to make time for yourself, so start those healthy habits early! Now go out and do great things. High school is your practice round, use it wisely.