I can’t believe that I’m even writing this article. It seems like yesterday that I was just a nervous anxious freshman, struggling to find my place at this school. 

Where do I even begin? These past four years have been crazy like they’ve gone by in a flash. I’ve learned many important lessons during my time here at Watkins Mill, and none of them involved a classroom. I’m going to tell you the things that I’ve learned here at Watkins Mill. 

1. Don’t force friendships. I did that a lot when I was younger, and freshman year was the last straw for me. I lost a friend because of that behavior. To incoming freshmen, don’t force friendships, because friends take time to make. To those who are struggling to make friends, part of it may be how you behave. It will take some time to make friends.
2. Always try to put your schoolwork first, before anything else. I had a lot of things on my schedule that messed with my schoolwork. I was still able to manage to get an honor roll, but I had to quit my activities junior year to concentrate on school. To incoming freshmen, don’t overload yourself!
3. Don’t get upset when somebody tries to help you, or correct you. I did that a lot, and because of this, some people didn’t want to hang out with me, and I don’t blame them for that.

These are the most important things that I’ve learned from this experience. These past four years at Watkins Mill have been crazy, but fun. I’ve made many friends, but I’ve lost some friends. But that’s a part of life that I’ll have to get used to. To the ones that I’ve formed friendships with, I’m sure going to miss all of you! To my teachers, especially Mrs. Confino, Mrs. Davis Vaughan, and Dr. Ryon, thank you for making school more fun and bearable. I’ve learned a lot of lessons here at Watkins Mill, many that I will never forget, and take them with me to the real world.