Here it is: The End. No, this is not yet another one of those “end of the world” schemes. This is the end of your high school career (at least for all of you seniors out there). These past four years have gone by quickly, each year containing more stories than the last. However, now it is the time to say “goodbye” to these memories and “hello” to new adventures. Unfortunately, it’s hard to let go, and somehow you feel empty, unfulfilled. That is why I’ve compiled a bucket list that you should attempt to complete before moving onto your next stages of life.

1. Get coffee with favorite teacher(s)
Okay, it doesn’t have to be coffee or outside of school, but hanging out with your favorite teacher could surprise you. Each staff member here at BC holds a life story, one that is filled with achievements, failures, and wisdom. Who knows? Maybe you could end up learning a few things that will be helpful for the future.

2. Get in trouble
Obviously when I say this, I’m not purporting that breaking the law is good. In fact, I highly recommend that you don’t do that. What I actually mean is that rules are flexible and are meant to be bent. Testing how far they can go is how this world has functioned in all of history. Sure, getting caught sucks and possibly damaging depending on the situation, but it’s worth it to finally know our boundaries.

3. Throw an awesome going away party
Graduating is a huge accomplishment, and celebrating that accomplishment will truly make you feel complete (maybe). After graduating, seeing all of your friends together in the same place will get harder and harder. People move away, move on, and move further from their current friends in an attempt to distance themselves from their feelings. So, if there’s any place to avoid these tendencies, it’s at an amazing party that you threw (or co-threw) for yourself. By the way, don’t worry: an awesome party doesn’t have to be exuberantly grandiose; a few snacks and activities are key ingredients to having a wonderful time. Friends are what make events memorable!

4. Leave Wisconsin (without parents)
We’ve all dreamed of the day we could run away from home without a care in the world and feel finally at peace with our surroundings – no rules and no boundaries. Unfortunately, school has tied us down, leaving us only week-long breaks to have a brief taste of life. Now, we see ourselves almost alone against the world, facing both an uncertain future and miles of barren roads. Out of everything on this list, I encourage this one the most, because only in true solitude are you able to find yourself. If you are shy like me, go ahead and bring a few friends along with you and enjoy the sights that this country has to offer. I promise that you won’t be disappointed with your adventures!

5. Say Goodbye
At the end of the day, the people that you have grown up with are the ones that really matter. They have endured your most awkward periods, greatest achievements, largest failures, and incommensurable struggles. If you plan on doing absolutely nothing this summer, at least do the bare minimum and wish your friends good luck on their own separate journeys and thank them for helping you on your own.

Albeit short, this bucket list is just a broadened view of the bare minimum you should attempt to accomplish. Sure, not everything on it is attainable, but knowing that you completed at least two items, whatever they may be, should be enough to fill the gaping void left in your heart by the bittersweet end of school. Now go on, seniors, and be the best at whatever or wherever you might be.