If given the chance to re-do your high school years, would you? I’m not a senior, but most of my friends are, and with the year coming to an end, I am beginning to realize just how little time I have remaining to share the hallways of Patchogue-Medford High School with the people I care about.

Time is just one of those concepts that you never really grasp; and before you know it, it has passed you by. Maybe if you had realized earlier, you would’ve said the things that you didn’t, or done the things that you were too afraid to do. But, if you had the chance to do it all over again, would you? What would you say if given the chance to speak? What would you do if given the chance to act?

After sitting down with my friends, Sam Rossi, Brian Roberts, Nicole Kelly, and Tommy Newham, they all came to the same conclusion that, if given the chance, they would not re-do high school. They expressed these feelings because everything that they did experience here has, in some way, shaped who they are today. As Sam stated, she “wouldn’t want to redo [her] high school experience for the sole reason that [she] would try to perfect things that went wrong, because there’s no experience that should be perfect”. However, if there was anything they regretted, it was not appreciating the early years; not taking advantage of all the time they had to get involved with the things they loved. Brian is the perfect example of this mentality. He said he “wished [he] had realized how much [he] liked music earlier, because [he] would have focused on it much more”. Similarly, Nicole talked about remembering past seniors telling her to appreciate the time she had, and her not understanding why; she was so focused on just getting through the past three years. But, now that senior year is here, she finally understands what they meant. The first few years can be rough, but, as Nicole says, “Once you find where you belong in this school, you find the people that matter and the things that you value, and you realize you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else”.

Of course, everyone has their own outlook, their own story. You may think you’re destined for something and then accidentally come across something new. This was the case for Brian, as he came into high school as an athlete, and left a musician, with a legacy of jazz behind him. “Starting ‘The Line’,” he said, “that’s the one thing I’d never change”. Pat-Med is a place where anyone can be anything. Where, “Even if you think you’re an athlete, you might turn out to be a musician”. Clearly, certain experiences in high school can be life changing. Many others, like Nicole, Sam, and Tommy, tried a bit of everything and discovered what they liked, meeting people along the way and finding their place. “You make friends here who could last a lifetime,” Tommy said, “but the people you talk to in school, and not outside of school, those are the type of people you’ll miss the most. You’ll always talk to your close friends, but the others, you won’t, and you’ll miss it”.

Your high school years are also an imperative time for learning, not only scholastically, but individually, mentally, and holistically. You learn lessons about yourself, life, and the people around you every day. “Pat-Med has taught me that not everyone is going to agree with you. There will always be differences, but the people you’re meant to come back to, you always will. If you don’t succeed in something, it’s okay,” Sam said. “I was way too hard on myself-you’re not going to be good at everything! There’s always someone better than you at something, and you’ll always find something that you succeed in”. For Brian, the lesson was “Just do you. You can’t get anywhere trying to make everyone happy,” and all that really matters is that, “you’re doing you at the end of the day”. It is also important not to forget the people who helped us learn these lessons and supported us through the years; teachers, coaches, friends, and family. As the years dwindle, you have to, as Sam says, “trust that you’ll make the right decisions, and that things will work out. Trust yourself, your family, and your friends”.

As cliché as it sounds, Pat-Med becomes a part of us all, whether you want it to or not. If you try to picture yourself in a different school, a different community, it just doesn’t work. Especially once you have found your place. “The idea of graduating and leaving all of this behind feels like leaving my family behind,” said Tommy. And as Nicole stated, “Your high school experience is what you make it. If you make it something you want to remember, you will”.

If Pat-Med has taught me anything, it is to not be afraid of who you are, and as my seniors have taught me, to truly appreciate every moment you have. “Value time, live in the moment, and appreciate everything” (Tommy). Because when it comes down to it, these moments make you who you are, with or without your consent. Always be yourself, as tried as it sounds, and do the things you want to do, because otherwise, as Sam put it; “when you’re out there on that lawn on an evening in June, you’re going to look back at that high school building and think, ‘wow, it’s over and I didn’t even get to do what I wanted to’”. Your high school years are full of chances. Chances to speak and to act. And although it is full of many firsts, it is also full of many lasts. So, “Meet new people, take every opportunity you get, take pictures, and cherish those who help you along the way” (Brian). Tell that girl in your math class that you like her outfit. Tell the boy that you see in the band room every day that you think his smile is beautiful. Try out for the Basketball team, even if you worry you won’t make it. Take the class that you wish you had room for. Join whatever club you want. Say the things you regret not saying. Do the things that scare you. Speak from your heart and “never forget where you came from,” because before you know it, “the beginning of the end will be over” (Tommy). Live now and do what makes YOU happy. Make sure that if you were given the chance to it all over again, you wouldn’t want to change a thing.

 “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I come to die, discover that I had not lived.” – Henry David Thoreau