High school is the only thing that’s on most of our minds, because it’s happening right now. Only seniors are worrying about what is to come next. No matter what everyone is thinking about, by senior year most of us have found our niche- the place you fit in. Everyone knows where everyone else stands, who your clique is and what you do for fun.

As a senior, I know who I like to hang out with and what I enjoy doing. And, as much fun as high school has been so far, I still always have one question burning in the back of my mind: “Will I peak in high school?” It’s what I have heard when my parents come back from high school reunions or even from people referring to themselves after they have graduated. What exactly does that mean, to “peak in high school?” The basic thought of this concept is how the so-called “nerds and geeks” end up being super successful and then the “jocks and athletes” usually end up worse than the people they felt superior to. It pretty much means that someone was living their best life when they were in high school. But usually, we only see that sort of thing in predictable teen movies.

Everyone has a chance to turn their life around. Just going from freshman to senior year, I’ve seen people that used to run with a bad crowd who now focus more on a sport or passion. There are people that used to fly under the radar and then end up making a difference in the school or in another person come senior year. I suppose that right now, everyone is only concerned with who and where they are in the moment. That’s fine, but what happens after we all graduate?

No one cares who you were in high school once you’ve thrown your cap into the air. So, it makes me confused as to why people say that others “peaked” when they were somewhere between the ages of 14 and 18. You still have roughly 70 years left in life, and it’s all expected to be downhill? “Peaking” to me seems like a sorry excuse to make if your life isn’t going how it’s supposed to. Don’t blame your failures or other’s success on who they once were, because everyone has a chance to change.

I’m not writing from a certain perspective either. Your past doesn’t determine your future. It’s what you’re doing in this moment that will shape who you are later. If you didn’t talk that much and wished you were more social, there’s still time in the rest of your life. Everyone seems to watch these missed opportunities as they go along in life, and they feel like who they are is the track that they’ll always be stuck on. Every single person has the ability to make choices. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what decisions you made when you were young. Do not sit and sulk as your days drag on, unhappy with your image or who you once were, because there is so much ahead of all of us.

You didn’t peak. There’s no “mountaintop moment” of life. Rather than peaking, live with your highs and lows, and maybe even take a new route. And remember, there will always be time to be better.