If I’m being honest, I wake up most mornings dragging myself out of bed like I’m heading into battle. School hasn’t felt exciting for a long time, assignments blur together, the hallways feel smaller, and I’m counting down the days until graduation like my life depends on it. But lately, there’s been something different in the air. Something that makes me actually want to show up. It’s the senior events. The picnics. The dress-up days. The promise of prom. These moments are giving us something regular classes can’t, a reason to care.

Senior year is supposed to be the grand finale, the fireworks before the curtain falls. But let’s be real, most of us are burnt out. We’ve been pushing ourselves for four years through academic pressure, social stress, and personal battles that don’t show up on our transcripts. Senior events feel like little lifelines. They remind us that school isn’t just about grades and test scores. It’s about memories, friendships, and the little bit of fun we can squeeze out of this place before we’re all scattered in different directions.

What makes these events matter so much is that they’re ours. Senior picnic? It’s our moment to exhale in the sun and pretend, just for a day, that we’re carefree. Senior skip day? It’s our way of saying, “We’ve earned this break.” And don’t get me started on prom, where the shiny dresses, rented tuxes and corny slow dances become snapshots we’ll probably keep forever. These aren’t distractions from school – they’re the heartbeats that keep us coming back.

I think people underestimate how powerful a sense of celebration can be, especially for students who have spent so much time just surviving. The senior dress-up days may seem silly to some, but dressing up as your favorite teacher or showing up in an outfit that starts with the first letter of your name does something incredible, it makes school fun again. For once, it’s not about rules and expectations. It’s about expression and joy. And honestly? That’s what keeps us going.

So yeah, maybe it’s not the math tests or essays that get me out of bed these days. It’s the countdown to the next memory. And if you ask me, that’s not just okay, it’s exactly how it should be.