Underclassmen, pay attention.

If you haven’t learned to read yet in those jokes you call ‘hard classes,’ have a senior read this to you. We’ve had nothing but free time in our classes since spring break, while I’m sure you’ve been working hard on that coloring book or whatever it is you kids do.

I’ve written a lot of articles, essays, DBQs and papers over my years here at BV.

This has been the hardest one, by far.

Not because I’m sitting here, teary-eyed over leaving high school.

Quite the opposite.

I struggled writing this because I wanted to give something back to my faithful fan base, the readers who follow me up and down the hallways, waiting to hear a sage piece of wisdom.

The only advice I could think of is: Stop caring.

No matter how terrible my grades are, I will get the same diploma as a student with a 4.0 GPA.

Yeah, sure, they get to wear some ropes at graduation that signify something or other.

Sweet, bro.

You know what they get from high school? A bunch of memories about staying up late, hunched over books and papers. Possibly so stressed out that they are on the verge of tears.

You know what I’ll get? A bunch of amazing memories of staying out late with friends, doing crazy stuff on weeknights just for the thrill.

So stop caring.

Do you ever think that when you’ve graduated, have a degree, are living in a suburban area with a spouse and 2.3 kids that anyone will ever ask you to draw a sine graph?

No.

I’m going to graduate. I’m going to college. I’m going to get a job.

Social skills will get you far in this world. Being able to strike up a normal, adult conversation is far more beneficial to your future than being able to regurgitate material on a test.

Sure, sitting at home furiously reading textbooks will give you the tools necessary to do well in a class.

But how will you react when you’re surrounded by strangers and are expected to speak on a normal topic?

Maybe I’m just being a teenager.

Or maybe I’m looking out for my future self.

Far down the road, I don’t want to remember study groups.

I want to remember the good times, the sad times, the close calls, the awkward moments and the memories I already look back on as one of the best parts of my life.

So go on.

You can quietly chuckle, smile and shake your head on how silly you think I sound.

You’ll see me laughing it up at the reunion at all the stupid things I did with my friends.

What will you remember?