Coming into high school, one thought is going through every freshman’s mind: “I only have four years of this.”

The first year is always exciting but tough because the new students struggle with getting used to the rules that come along with high school.

They are excited for their first Spirit Week, their first homecoming game, their first school dance.

They patiently await their first Christmas break as a high schooler and are annoyed but secretly excited when Christmas carols are played over the speakers between classes.

When they come back, they struggle with relearning the subjects that they did not study for over the break because exams are coming up.

Once exams are over and, they realize exams “were not that bad.”

Then they experience their first spring break as a high schooler, which for some reason are always more exciting than when they were in middle school.

When they return they joke about having “Freshmanitis,” which is not even close to whatever seniors claim to have.

The last week of school comes around and so do exams, which they are more experienced with and then they are finally relieved to be done with their first year of high school.

“Only three more years left,” they will think.

Sophomore year comes around and it’s the same thing.

Homecoming, dances, Christmas break, Exams, spring break, “Sophomoreitis,” exams.

Only one thing is different.

The ACT is next year and this is the test that “determines their future,” or so they say. But that’s still a year away.

Junior year comes back and everyone thinks, “I’m halfway through high school.”

It is the same thing except the ACT is this year and that is what every teacher is banging into their heads.

It is no longer the curriculum that stresses them out. It’s all of the stuff that is being reviewed that nobody remembers learning.

This is honestly the most stressful year. Everyone says it, but nobody believes it until they are living in the year.

Once the ACT is over, their brains feel fried, but the year is not over yet.

But when the year is over, it so amazing.

“I’m a senior now.”

The week preceding the first day of the last year of high school is coming and it begins to get scary that this year is going to take forever.

The first day comes and everything changes. It feels as if you are walking through the halls for the first time again.

The year that you thought was going to take forever flies by.

Homecoming for the last time, Christmas break with your high school friends for the last time, exams for the last time, spring break for the last time, and then . . . “Senoritis,” which they finally know is a real thing because they feel it.

They’ll feel their senior project creeping up on them.

And then prom, which everyone thinks will be just like every other dance.

But it is not. Although it is just a dance, it feels different.

Senior choice awards, cap and gown pick up, exams (if you have to take them).

Sooner than they thought, it is the last day, the last time they will walk through these halls as a high school student and even though they swear they would not be, they will be sad.

Sad yet proud, because they made it.

Staring down the hall one last time, saying good bye to their favorite and not so favorite teachers. And then they are gone.

They walk across the Whiting stage and receive their diploma, and then they are done.

It is not about high school now. It’s about college.

For every freshman or incoming freshman, take my advice: do not rush through your high school years.

They are annoying but important and, sooner than you think, it will be done.

You will be done with high school and will not even know where the time went.

You will miss it, no matter how much you swear you will not.

But you will.