If the outbreak of the coronavirus has taught people anything, it is that no one ever knows what to expect in life.   

For many students, as they walked through the doors of school on March 13, it seemed like it could be any random Friday. Given news reports at the time, they may have suspected that school soon would be closed for a brief period, but it’s doubtful that many thought they would not be back for the rest of the year.  

As the pandemic continues to affect our everyday lives, canceling important plans and events, we must learn to take advantage of the time we have and to live our lives to the fullest.

Too many students do not realize how short their high school lives are until high school is over and they are upset about how much they missed out on.  These four years are what students make them to be, so it is important to make the most out of the time we have.

In a strange coincidence, many seniors celebrated “senior skip day” on what turned out to be the last day of school for the year.  Now, I have often heard these students reflect and realize that they never had one last chance to walk the halls of the school. Some say they wish they had gone to school that day, especially as important events like prom have been canceled due to the pandemic. 

Many juniors and seniors choose not to attend Snowball, the winter dance, because they want to focus their time and money on prom.  With prom canceled, some now wish they had attended what ended up being the last dance of the school year.

We never know when our lives will change, so why not live like everything could be over before we know it?  

There is no telling what next year will hold.  Will another outbreak cancel school again?  Will crowds continue to be limited? Will sports be able to resume normally? The threat of the unknown should teach students to try new things and participate in activities to make high school memorable.

If you ever considered joining a club, running for a class or club officer position, or getting involved in a new activity, then go for it.  Be involved and experience the opportunities that the school makes available to students.

Often, it is the involved students who look back on their high school years and talk about how much they enjoyed their time there.  By becoming more involved, students can form relationships with people they did not know before, and become a bigger part of the school community.  

There is no use in looking back on what this year “could have been,” as the situation was out of our hands.  Instead, working to make the most of the coming years is a great way to make up for lost time.

So go to the next football game, attend the dance you weren’t sure about, or join the club you never signed up for.  Don’t wait and expect everything to be there tomorrow, because you never know if it will be.