Last Spring Break as a Senior

By Ning Yi Chia

Towards the end of March, we are rewarded with a short break for our work ethic and drive to achieve our goals. Luckily, spring break is a glimmering reminder that the darkness of midterm stress and seasonal senioritis will soon be washed away in blissful sunlight. 

Unlike the usual lighthearted feeling I get before a week of holiday, I felt an inconsolable yearning for the experience to be longer, almost as if I crave the nostalgia of staying close to my family and friends. As of last spring break and holiday as a senior, I believe it was a memorable time of my life, especially when I got to foster great relationships with my peers. 

The four years of high school have shaped and refined us into individuals with empathy and strong interrelationships– some of those special moments are created when we take time to rest and spend it with our loved ones. As Christopher Ooi (12) says, “Senior year has been a great opportunity to appreciate the island and the people on it.” 

Several students had mentioned it was surreal when they realized it was their last spring break. “My last spring break is my best spring break. It feels like a montage of happy moments in life because I had so much fun every day. I learned that it’s important to have fun and relax. It saddens me to know it’s the last one, but I think realizing it made every moment even more special,” Cecelia Sheng (12) responds enthusiastically.

“My spring break brought a much-needed rest from school, and it was great to spend time with my family and friends without the school work hanging over my head. However, it will be my last spring break in Penang before leaving for university, so it was quite sentimental,”  Dylan Chew (12) elaborates on his experience over the break. 

I often hear the phrase, “Senior year will soon fly by,” and I never believed it until now. In less than three months, I will have my graduation gown and cap hanging up in my closet, waiting to be worn and for the next chapter of my life to begin as soon as I walk across that stage. It’s difficult to swallow that one day it will be the last lunch together with our friends or the last crack of a joke before we cease to step foot into the classrooms again. As for now, we should be mindful of our surroundings and appreciate the little things in life.   

I’ll end it with a quote from Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”