Have you realised it yet? 

Have you realised it yet? 

An era is ending. 

People call it the “best time of your life”—school life. The place where you’ve spent most of your years, sometimes more than at home. With friends who became family and teachers who shaped you. And sure, you complain about it a lot, but the thought of not going back? Of losing that comfort zone? That’s something else.

It’s all about to change…but at least you’ll still have your friends, right? 

Friendships change too.

You swear you’ll keep in touch—everyone does—but life gets busy. The faces you used to see every day will slowly become faces you only see occasionally. And no matter how hard you try, it will never be quite the same.

Isn’t it strange how people who once knew every little detail about your life will become just names in your contact list?

You make promises to stay close, but deep down, you know that life pulls everyone in different directions. The group chats that used to buzz 24/7 will go silent. And one day, you’ll scroll past their posts and realize how far apart you’ve drifted.

Ok…fine! I’ll stop worrying you about the future. Let’s focus on now. 

Now, there’s the pressure.

Teachers, parents, relatives—even yourself. The final board exam looms over you, the one that’s supposed to decide your future. The weight of it suffocates you, draining the little joy left in these last moments.

And the questions never stop—“What’s next? What course? What career?” As if you’re supposed to have your entire life figured out when you can’t even decide what to eat for lunch.

It feels like everyone’s waiting for the perfect answer, while you’re just trying to survive the present.

You want change. 

Change? No one warns you about that.

They don’t tell you that growing up feels less like moving forward and more like leaving behind pieces of yourself. The hallways that once echoed with laughter will feel unfamiliar. The routine that felt endless will suddenly end. And the worst part? You never realize it’s the last time you’ll do something until it’s already over.

Breath. 

But maybe… you should breathe.

Take a step back. Soak it all in. Spend time with the people who matter. Because when you look back, it’s not the grades or the pressure you’ll remember. It’s the moments—the laughter, the chaos, the comfort. 

And when the gates of your school finally close behind you…

You won’t just be leaving a building. You’ll be leaving behind a version of yourself you can never return to. 

So, make sure that when you walk away, you carry the best of it with you.

                           — Ahada Fathima