With graduation coming closer every day, many Lake Ridge seniors are beginning to look back on their time they have had here and all they’ve experienced before it is time to leave these halls.

High school holds their first homecoming, first B.E.A.K. week, first AP test, first transcript and first prom. Even though many are excited to leave their home and go off to various colleges and universities, students are sad that they will have to leave the familiar and start over somewhere new. They have to leave behind friends, family, most extracurricular activities and more.

For some, parts of their high school career were unexpected and not wanted, while others were interesting and fun.

Senior Katelyn Webster was up for the challenging rigor through various honors and AP classes throughout high school, but did not appreciate the attitude many teachers had.

“The teachers expect a lot out of us. I know that they need to prepare us because we are about to become adults and go to college, but they can do it with positive reinforcement instead of piling on work and expecting the most from us. This happened senior year especially, and at this point people don’t care about their grades anymore,” Webster said.

The people you are surrounded with throughout high school have a tremendous impact on you and many students will miss them. They are the friends you go to all of the football games with or the friends that help you on various assignments.

Senior Skyler Goldthwaite will look back on her high school career and remember all of the lasting relationships she made while attending Lake Ridge.

“My favorite thing about high school is the people probably. Even during senior year you meet people that you wish you would’ve known for years and you create awesome memories,” Goldthwaite said.

Tommy Nguyen, 12, is the class of 2017’s valedictorian for Lake Ridge and will miss his friends that he has made but is looking forward to graduation.

“I think graduation will be one of my favorite memories because although I won’t see the people I’ve grown up with anymore, we are leaving everything we know behind to start a new stage in our lives,” Nguyen said.

Many students walk in their first day of high school with having only been to Eaglet camp, a freshman orientation for prospective Lake Ridge students in the summer, and Meet The Teacher night. They don’t know what to expect or what is in store for them during high school.

Due to these circumstances, Webster describes her high school in three words.

“High school in three words is “harder than expected.” A lot of us walk into freshman year blindsided because it is very different than middle school, so we don’t know what it’s going to be like,” Webster said.

Although school has been tough at times, Nguyen uses three words to describe its importance.

“Three words to describe high school are momentous, fleeting and memorable. It is filled with with important, once-in-a-lifetime occasions, but time also passes by very fast,” Nguyen said.

All of high school is memorable and important, but senior year seems to be a very influential year because it is the last few steps needed to finish the race. Students are signing to colleges and choosing their roommates and dorms during this time. Grades become final after the first semester and many are trying to do well in their classes to receive college credit. They are applying for scholarships, and with balancing all of this, they are still trying to uphold their social life as well.

Because of this, Nguyen advises upcoming seniors to not take advantage of the year.

“Take everything in. You’re only a senior once,” Nguyen said.