By Junho Lee ’24 Layout Editor of the 117th Masthead
For the past 12 years, I’ve followed a structured schedule that left little room for spontaneity. School, afternoon activities, homework, sleep, and repeat. At Choate, each of my days was packed from 8 a.m. until bedtime with six classes, editing for The Choate News, Gold Key tours, orchestra rehearsals, club meetings, and more. Stepping from adolescence into adulthood, we seniors have just overcome one of the biggest hills of life thus far. As such, I see senior spring as a downhill segment that allows us to recharge and prepare for the challenges ahead.
To execute this vision, I decided to scale back by allowing my schedule to be as open as possible. My four-block, five class schedule, granted by the Capstone program, has gifted me with three sleep-ins a week to enjoy slower mornings.
I also decided to do a photography project instead of participating in sports because I didn’t want to be constrained to one space in the afternoons. I go on spontaneous walks on Rosemary Lane, admiring the cozy cottages lined by floral trees. I take tours of the athletic fields on Wednesday afternoons to visit sports I’ve never watched before at Choate, cheering on the Wild Boars in everything from softball to track and field.
As I view the campus through this different lens, everything seems simultaneously familiar yet slightly different. I’ve noticed how bright the sunlight was, how the ducks in Archbold Pond like to sunbathe on the dam, how the Minnemans’ dog, Brunswick, likes to make eye contact with students walking by, as well as other minor details about our campus that I was missing out on when I was busy rushing between different classes. Although I am still taking the same path from my D block Chemistry class to my E block Behavioral Economics class, I am making new memories in the place I call home, at least for the next three weeks.
Alongside these activities, I’ve also been able to binge-watch Netflix shows, my guilty pleasure, take naps to mentally compensate for all the past late-night study sessions, and spend more time planning for my future. In addition, I can play soccer with my friends, go to more school events, and explore the town of Wallingford without checking my watch to make sure I can make it to my next commitment. I quickly realized that these unexpected but memorable moments are the ones I will miss most.
This spontaneous lifestyle has helped me connect with more people this spring. From supporting my friends at the Dance Concert to playing FIFA and spending countless hours talking in our dorm rooms, these simple yet profound moments strengthened our bonds and enriched my final days at Choate in ways that structured activities never could.
Senior spring should not be about filling every moment with scheduled events. Instead, it is a new beginning and should be a time to embrace the freedom that will come with our approaching graduation. It is a time to enjoy the company of friends in unplanned ways and to savor one’s last days of high school life.
