As the third nine weeks comes to a close, I, along with the rest of the class of 2017, am entering the home stretch of high school. Some of us may never lose touch, while others will only reconnect at reunions, politely parting ways before the conversation takes too long. When looking back, it often shocks me that it has been four years since I first walked these halls. But now it is that time when we succumb to the cliché reminiscence of the past four years.

Few people will leave high school and five years later claim that those were the best four years of their lives, and there have definitely been ups and downs, maybe more of the latter. In August 2013, the new freshmen clung close to those they knew in middle school, desperate for a familiar face. We came from schools all across Charleston County, from private schools such as Mason Prep, Porter-Gaud, and Ashley Hall, to public schools such as Fort Johnson, Cario, and Moultrie. The boys were still shorter than the girls, and the haircuts are a scary memory. But over time, we began to befriend those who sat next to us in class and those with whom we played sports. We began to make new memories, from the Florida Keys trip to the legendary John Knight. We struggled with the course load and faced much more rigorous classes than what we had in middle school.

At the beginning of sophomore year, we felt like we were experienced high schoolers. Classes were easier and we knew most of the people in our grade. That year acted as a break before we entered the treacherous junior year. There was stress from homework, thesis, college prep, standardized testing, and just general school drama that made us wish that high school would end. Those thoughts strengthened as we entered our senior year.

For many, senioritis began the moment we walked out of our last junior exam. For others, it began at the end of the semester. We were overwhelmed by the most AP classes we’d ever taken, college applications, and last minute standardized tests to get our target scores. After we finished our applications, all we could do was wait. While we wait, we imagine what our life is going to be like at this time next year. Where will we be? How many of our high school friends will we still be in touch with? It is difficult to say, but I know that we will be having our own separate adventures, ready to take the world by storm. It is hard to describe how I’ve felt about these past four years. Academic Magnet: It’s been weird, to say the least.