For a select few of us, the time has come for the tide to change. Inevitably, seniors must graduate and prepare for the rest of their lives, loves, and careers. Before leaving, however, seniors reflect on their year so far with bittersweet acknowledgment and anticipate their futures eagerly.

Admittedly, high school isn’t easy, especially in a district as competitive as ours. If you factor in homework, sports, college applications, standardized tests and clubs, college starts to look like a walk in the park compared to high school. But the enduring light of our lives—friendship—creates an atmosphere of love and support amidst waves of stress. Wei Wen ‘16 admits that “friends and (a very select few) teachers are all that’s worth reminiscing on. [The] high school workload and pressure [are] rough on the soul.”

For some seniors, college is seen as a path for growth – a way out of the “Basking Ridge Bubble.” After a multitude of applications, college means uncertainty as well as the promise of something new and exciting. Wen expresses this sentiment with a wish to “to really meet new people, and to (maybe) rediscover myself in a non-sheltered world that Basking Ridge has become these past few years.”

A lack of limits in college also has its drawbacks, although admittedly quite minimal. Amy Zhang ‘16 admits that she would miss “getting constant reminders for things. [Once I’m in college, the professors] tell you things once and don’t really repeat things.” Seniors seem to harbor a feeling of intense anticipation for the college experience, but will miss the ready-made world of Basking Ridge.

Even in the warmth and safety of Ridge, students felt themselves experience a personal growth and development in the twilight of their high school careers. For Ayesha Gurnani ‘16, senior year served as a stopping point for reflection on emotions and experiences: “The impermanence of everything also helps you grow and mature a lot… And I think that’s a really gradual process that takes pretty much the whole year and a lot of people don’t even notice it happening… By the end of the year, it’s like everything that has happened has set you up to be ready to leave.”

Leaving a home we’ve known forever – so bitterly full of evocative memories – can be difficult. Yet the preparation and training of high school prepares all of us to leave and become actors in our own world. So here’s to the class of 2016 – good luck!