At 5:30 a.m. my alarm goes off, an annoying buzzing from my side table. A new day with high hopes of getting up and leaving my house by 6:45 am. Those hopes soon fade. “Snooze”.

“WAKE UP! it’s 6:30, Jillie!” Ugh. I roll myself out of bed, eyes half shut, stunned by the hallway light. I shower taking my time, overlooking the fact that I only have a half an hour before I should leave. As soon as I’m done I throw on whatever I can just so I can try to get to school on time.

One of the best parts of senior year: driving to school. No more smelly busses or waiting for mommy or daddy to bring me. I walk into the school already two bells in, quickly making my way to the library to get a pass.

Just as I’m leaving the library the third bell rings. I swiftly walk to my first period, with little concern of my tardiness. I finally walk in halfway through the announcements, with a few of my fellow senior classmates following behind me.

School moves by slow. Students constantly staring at the clock, waiting to be released from behind the bars of our desks, only to be let out into the underclassmen infested hallways; a place where guys pants are pushed down too low, and their “swag” turned on too high. Freshmen aimlessly walk on the wrong side of the hallways, and of course there’s the strong smell of morning bogey reeking through the halls. Delicious.

Each teacher is unique, to say it nicely. In one of my classes I’ll sit through an entire period and feel as if I’ve learned nothing. Where in another class the teacher will share rude sarcastic comments, in which I’ll leave feeling as if I learned enough material to cover the entire year.

When lunch time finally comes there’s a sigh of relief that the days almost over. Lunch is so different from the past. Cell phones at lunch, “healthy” choices, and of course the senior section. I bring my own lunch. No lines, and no telling me what I can or cannot eat.

Finally 1:55, the best time of the day. Clubs, sports, things WE want to do. No more sitting in desks, no more being told what to do like if I can or can’t get a drink or even go pee. Well, at least until the next day.