At the beginning of the second semester, underclassmen create their class schedules for their next year. They pick classes, decide on AP or Dual and choose electives. It becomes a ritual for the four years of 8th through 11th grade. But the class of 2021 feels a loss; no creating schedules or picking electives for them. Now, it’s about picking colleges and majors, choosing a job or branch of the military. The huge difference between creating a simple high school schedule and realizing they’ve entered the “real world” causes stress and for some, anxiety, when thinking about their future.

A feeling of sentimentality came from the underclassmen picking their schedules for their next year of high school.

“Seeing underclassmen choosing their schedules was definitely nostalgic and almost sad,” senior Raquel Lara said. “The feeling of growing up is almost like a teacher seeing her students move on and enter the real world.”

Others realized that this moment in their life is over, and it is time for something new.

“Seeing the underclassmen picking their schedules was bittersweet,” senior Lindsay Gogniat said. “Not making our schedules made me realize that we’re not going to be here next year, and we’ll be onto the next step in our lives.”

The “real world” seems daunting and unpredictable from inside the safe walls of the last year of high school, but now seniors face many important decisions that determine their futures.

“The idea of going into the ‘real world’ is pretty stressful to me because I have my whole life in front of me, and I can choose what I want to do with it,” Gogniat said.

The idea of taking care of oneself with no help scares some seniors.

“The idea of graduating and being an independent adult absolutely terrifies me,” Lara said. “Having to pay my own bills and solve my own real world problems is overwhelming and I wish I could go back in time and be in elementary again.”

Others feel ready to take on the big world.

“I think I’m going in [to the real world] pretty prepared out of high school,” senior Keegan Barrier said.

As little freshmen, there were many things that the class of 2021 didn’t know. They learned them the hard way by making mistakes and learning from those.

“Going into high school, I wish I knew that there are going to be times when you’re not going to have fun, but as long as you stick to it and stay caught up on work, it all pays off in the end,” Gogniat said.

Seniors learned to fix their eyes on what’s important in their four years of high school.

“Something I wish I knew during high school was to prioritize my time and focus on my academics more,” Lara said. “Many times I found myself avoiding my school work to hang out with people or have fun, but now that I’m about to graduate, those friends are gone and my grades would have definitely been higher if I had learned to prioritize better.”

Some seniors wish they’d done some things a little differently.

“I wish I’d studied,” Barrier said. “Even if I didn’t need it, it would’ve helped out a bit.”

The class of 2021 reflect on their first year of high school and realize the mistakes they made, and think about how it could’ve gone differently.

“Something I wish I knew before entering high school is that procrastination is never the answer and to take freshman year more seriously,” senior Shivani Patel said.

High school isn’t just about mistakes; there’s decisions that people will cherish after school as well.

“Something that I treasured during my four years at DHS are the relationships I have made with my classmates, teachers and coaches and all the memories I have made,”Patel said.

Some things about high school ended up just right and needed no change.

“I truly liked the school spirit and how DHS has unique traditions in every sport,” Lara said. “I definitely missed pep rallies this year because they were so energetic and made the weeks go by faster. Friday’s in Eagle Land is something I’ll cherish forever.”