I started my freshman year in August 2023. At the same time, my cousin — three years older than me, class of 2024 — became a senior. A few weeks before my first day at Cathedral, she sent me a note of encouragement that I still remember. It ended with a line that you likely know:

Enjoy high school — it really does go by fast.

I took my cousin’s word for it. But at the time, she seemed so much older, so close to adulthood — in a matter of months, she’d be 18, then heading to college. As I sat up in the bleachers for my first all-school Mass, on my second day of school, I looked down at the senior section, all the way on the floor. The class of 2024 seemed far; I was sure my cousin was right about high school, but I also knew I couldn’t yet imagine what it would be like.

My first days at Cathedral, full of new faces, still seem fresh in my memory now. But all of a sudden, I’m at the same line that my cousin crossed three years ago. In three months, we’ll be the senior class.

My junior friends and I have all been surprised. This year was so much faster. September feels like it was yesterday. Actually, middle school feels like it was yesterday. Every underclassman ponders the adage; every upperclassman realizes just how true it is. That’s what made me want to investigate: is there an explanation for why high school flies past like that?

Beyond the First-Day Gates

Four years aren’t shorter for a high schooler than for a middle schooler, but they feel like they are. If you’re 18 and reading this, four years constitutes slightly more than a fifth of the time you’ve lived. If you’re 13, it’s just over a third.

“It’s common for people to report a slow passage of time during childhood,” Steve Taylor explains for Psychology Today. “As children, we have so many new experiences, and so process a massive amount of perceptual information.” Our surroundings are vivid, because our perception of the world is, too. But as we grow, we have fewer new experiences, and become desensitized to our surroundings – since we’re absorbing less information, time passes more quickly. As Taylor puts it: “Time is less stretched with information.”

I wonder if high school is a microcosm of that. When freshmen walk into high school, they’re in a brand-new environment: new classrooms, new faces, and new opportunities fill their view. Maybe time “slows down”, to let students absorb everything that’s going on – both the excitement, and the fear. The second semester, and beyond, let students get used to new lives. Sometimes class periods and stressful days feel long, but weeks and months tick by quickly.

“It feels like just yesterday I was a freshman walking through the Cathedral gates for the very first time,” senior Kaylin Gunderson shares. But this fall, she’ll be a freshman once again — this time, a liberal studies major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. “In the moment, high school can feel slow and gradual, but once a year passes, you look back and realize just how quickly it all went by.”

The Upperclassman Years

As months and then years pass by, students get used to the rhythm of high school – one that begins going ever faster. And, around junior year, things get serious. Kids start wondering what they want to do after high school. They take on demanding schedules and become leaders in their community. At Cathedral, the college counseling team springs into action, to help fulfill our school’s college prep mission. They hope to help support the junior class through what’s undeniably an overwhelming time.

When stress “piles up”, our memories become shaky, according to Verywell Mind. Our brains aren’t in a position to create complex short-term memories, nor turn them into complex long-term memories later on. I remember the busiest moments of my junior years being “blurs”: during test-heavy weeks where I had to compartmentalize, I didn’t pay as much attention to everything else around me. Those times in my memory feel sparse, almost like they were worth less time.

Kaylin is one of many upperclassmen who’s found herself focused on the future. “As a freshman, I never really thought much about the future or what college I would attend,” she reflects. “But by junior year and especially senior year, I found myself constantly worrying about whether I would get into my top colleges, what major I would choose, and even how I would adjust to college life after committing to one of my top schools.” Our final years are heavily defined by the end. It’s not easy to stay in the present – nor is it easy to remember that, if you’re a rising junior, you’re only halfway through high school.

Kaylin spent much of her senior year getting ready for her future. But it also brought her realizations about the present. “Over time, I began to realize that this was also… my final opportunity to experience everyday life together with my friends at the same school. It was our final time seeing each other daily in the hallways, sharing in the stressors of senior year, making funny videos and skits, bonding over senioritis, and simply enjoying each other’s company before we all went our separate ways.”

I want to make the most of my senior year, like Kaylin did. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to make sure that their time doesn’t slip away. So I asked her: what should us underclassmen know?

What You Can Do

No matter what year of high school you’re in, I’m going to guess that you’ve noticed parts of it flip by faster. That’s exciting in plenty of ways: we’re supposed to look forward to the future.

“I feel relieved knowing that all of my hard work paid off,” Kaylin shares. “Now I can embrace the excitement of transitioning into college, and gaining a newfound freedom in my independence.” But it’s no easy task. Seniors like her anticipate missing their bonds with teachers, classmates, and friends; the next frontier is full of unknown, even if it’s exciting.

Time speeding up is something we might just have to accept – but we can make sure to preserve as many moments as possible amidst the blur. That means diving into new activities, groups, and passions – “making the most of high school”.

Kaylin is involved all around Cathedral: she played in the orchestra during her sophomore and junior year; serves as Vice President of the Hearts for Hope Club, which raises awareness about human trafficking and supports victims; and participates in plenty of clubs (like Amici Christi Catholic Fellowship, the girls’ faith group that meets on Mondays at lunch, and Dons for Life). As much as possible, she’s gone to the school dances, the drama productions, and the many faith-based and community-focused events that CCHS offers.

“For an incoming freshman hoping to get involved at Cathedral, I recommend joining a variety of clubs and participating in the many activities and events offered on campus to connect with other students who share similar interests, hobbies, and passions,” Kaylin shares.

She also hopes new students try out the VAPA program, like she did: “I was initially hesitant because I had little to no background in playing the cello, but with the help of my teacher and peers, I was able to not only grow as a musician, but also mature as an individual. In orchestra, I met one of my best friends, and I still keep in touch with her today even though she is now in college.” Fulfilling passions and friendships like these make our high school years feel full.

She also knows the value of trying to stay in the present, even during times of pressure. As her senior year progressed, Kaylin “started worrying less about the future, and focusing more on appreciating the present.” Preparing for college was still a priority, but savoring the final months of high school was, too. “I chose to place my future in God’s hands and learned to live in the moment, cherishing the life-long memories I created with my friends along the way.”

Whether you’re a freshman looking forward to the years ahead, or a junior like me hoping to make the absolute most out of their last year, I encourage you to take Kaylin’s lessons with you. She and my cousin were right: high school does go by quickly. But you have time – and Cathedral offers you lots of opportunities to use it for what you love.

And know that, while the future might seem scary “looming overhead”, trying to live in the present is an antidote: the memories you make can help you through the busy times. Breathing exercises, activity, and mindfulness can help your memories form during chaotic days and weeks. Try carving out small moments to reflect on how your day went, or journal, or think about what you want to do with your friends tomorrow.

It’s okay that high school goes by fast, and that some times will whirl by. But I recommend taking all the joy you can from it. Future you will be grateful that you absorbed everything you could.