Bottom of the 12th: Finish Line

For the past three years, my high school experience has been determined by the weekly wait for Saturday, the countdown to extended breaks and the last month before the annual summer reprieve.

Now I am finally able to look not only look toward summer break, but also the final conclusion of my pre-collegiate schooling. I will have entire days to travel, read, spend time with friends, work to put away money for college and all the other activities I was unable to do during the school year.

Unfortunately, the upcoming weeks will still be difficult. I need my grades to go up to meet my standards for academic success—for my own pride and to ensure I keep my scholarships and honors status intact.

The next few weeks could prove very difficult instead of tapering off in difficulty as often happens at the end of the year. For example, despite taking my Advanced Placement Statistics test Tuesday, we're learning new material for the last few weeks—although at a more relaxed pace. This week will also feature a final unit exam in Spanish on Monday, University of Minnesota proficiency exams Tuesday through Thursday and oral exams Friday and into next week.

Even my senior elective classes, psychology and philosophy, have final exams and projects in the next two weeks that should make for an interesting and difficult task of juggling my responsibilities while trying to enjoy the improved weather.

It is undoubtedly harder to find motivation now that the end is so close, but my parents have made sure to remind me of the importance of closing out my final year strong and leaving a good impression for my college and future potential employers to see.

I have now begun to plan for my graduation party, although most of the credit should go to my mom for putting things together. I can think of graduation as my next hurdle, rather than AP tests and prom which made up nearly all conversation and consumed nearly all of everyone’s time the past few weeks.

I will finally be liberated from the need to concentrate on schoolwork before 9 a.m. and the dread of doing homework despite already spending more than seven hours gazing longingly out the window at the finally green grass and fleeting good weather.

“The end is near” is a message often displayed as coming from the mouths of people who are crazy. But when I think about the prospect of the end drawing closer, I feel a bit euphoric with anticipation.