They’ve had the date marked on their calendars, counted down the days, and finally it’s here: the class of 2017’s last week of high school.

The week induces mixed emotions.

Matt Gregor describes it as bittersweet because it’ll be the last time he’ll see some of the people he has grown up with.

Gregor is particularly sad about leaving his friends in study hall, though he’s excited to be done with school until next fall.

“It’ll be nice to feel like I’ve accomplished something,” he said.

Gregor said while he is pleased overall with his high school experience, he has some regrets.

“I wish I would’ve taken school more seriously,” he said. “I valued social status over grades, and that was a mistake.”

Though she knows now she wants to be an engineer, Emily Will said she regrets not having a better idea earlier in high school.

“If I would have decided earlier, I could’ve taken more math or science classes to prepare myself for what’s to come,” Will said.

She recommends that, if possible, freshmen or sophomores try to narrow their interests and take classes based on those interests. For example, someone who probably won’t major in biology shouldn’t waste time taking honors biology in high school.

Lindsay James is leaving high school with a word of advice she said everyone could benefit from: “Only speak unless it improves upon the silence.”

James has also learned that everything—drama, one bad grade, an embarrassing moment—passes.

“You won’t care about whatever you’re crying about now in a year,” James said.

Matthew Busse said high school has taught him the best thing to be is himself.

“Very few people are your friends, and most people are friends with you to get something out of you,” Busse said. “Don’t change yourself to fit in.”

Cheyenne Grenaway learned a similar lesson.

“Being yourself is going to put you around people who care about you for who you are, and that’s all that matters.”