by Nathan Hunt |

The month of May is approaching and there is a sense of anticipation coming from a particular group of students. Graduation is almost upon us; you can taste the excitement in the air coming from the class of 2012 as they eagerly wait for the moment when their high school careers will come to a close. Although, for some seniors, and select juniors, there will be no counting down to that certain day in May when the goodbyes to fellow classmates and teachers will be said and the feeling of relief will wash over them. The reason? They have graduated early.
High school has been the best and most enjoyable time of my life; and I am only a junior! LHS, I must brag, has a certain atmosphere that screams relaxation and fun. So, it is very difficult for me to hear or even understand why some students want to graduate early. Graduating early would make you miss out on all the experiences high school has to offer, for example all the high school dances and specifically for a senior who graduated early, prom. I always thought seniors looked forward to prom and all the glam that comes with it. It is a huge privilege to be able to go to prom, so why miss out?
Another thing being missed out by graduating early would be the infamous senior-skip day or the annual senior class prank. Wouldn’t someone want to be a part of something as memorable as that, so they can look back on it one day and tell their kids about how wonderful of a time they had?
Another reason why no one should graduate early is because of all the memories you have the honor of making with your best friends. I have always been one for making the most out of a limited time offer, and high school is a students’ limited time offer, and runs out way too quickly for my taste. A student should embrace every second they can get of free knowledge before they go off to college where each second is paid for in thousands of dollars, so much so that the debt may haunt you for the rest of your life.
I do understand that for some kids, classes are not enjoyable or there are those teachers that you struggle to get along with; trust me I’ve been there. And some are not as social as I am so dances are not their thing, yet they should still stick it out for the full year so as to gain knowledge and valuable memories.
If presented with the option of graduating early, I would never take it. I value this time way too much to ever pass it up for anything else. I want that day where I can sit in class and bawl my eyes out while hugging my best friends because it is the last day we will see each other. I want to learn as much as I possibly can before being sent off to college where I have to pay to be educated. In the end, time goes by too quickly; don’t blink because if you do, you might miss it.