Senior Reflection: It’s not like the movies

I loved watching high school movies when I was younger. Movies like “The Breakfast Club” and “10 Things I Hate About You” always made me imagine what my high school experience would be like–specifically my senior year. I am a little disappointed, because I never received any love poems or watched the basketball players break out into song.

Freshman year was so exciting. The upperclassman looked middle-aged to me and I felt like I was starring in my own movie. The movie was cut short, however, because of Covid. Everyone was there, everyone experienced it, so there’s no need to go into detail about it. It mostly just feels like a fever dream.

Being in South Florida for high school had perks I didn’t even think about until I traveled outside of the state. Early release days involved going to the beach right after school and getting along with all the different cliques. The drive to the beach was almost more exciting than the actual beach, because everyone was hyped up with the radio blasting, and talking about what games they would play on the sand. 

When it came to relationships, I’ve been let down. I never had a guy stand outside my window and blast my favorite song. Instead, I was met with confusion, awkward moments and questionable decisions. There was never a misunderstood player who changed his ways for me because I was that one special girl, and I don’t think it’ll be that way for anyone else. The one thing the movies didn’t lie about was the heartbreak. However, even that went away fast. Those relationships seem like old stories now. I do wish I could’ve experienced having a vampire and a werewolf fight over me, though.

When it came to friendships, my friend group from freshman year is a lot different from the one I have this senior year. I would say I’ve met some questionable people, but all of them have rubbed off on me and shaped me into who I am today. While it does hurt to lose friends, it’s inevitable. I think it’s something that will happen to everyone – a lot of times  it’s for the better.

Surprisingly, I’m not really bummed out about my high school movie coming to an end. I do wish that earlier on, I would have spoken my mind more. Some people like to leave things be, but now that I’m almost gone, I do regret that I left some things unsaid. It definitely won’t alter the course of my future but it might be something I’ll think about sometimes. 

I think the biggest reason why I am not sad about graduating is because it is something I’ve been waiting for. 12 years of schooling has led up to this moment, so I feel more relieved than sad. It’s a new path for me and everyone around me, and even though it’s scary, it’s exactly where I want to be.