First and foremost, I’d like to inform the world that my beloved cat, Lavender, celebrated her 10^th birthday on Sept. 9.  (Yes, you may put this date in your calendars) I would also like to put on the permanent record of the Internet and Etched In Stone archives that she was, indeed, given a cat treat and was brushed for a minimum of 18 minutes. She, therefore, has absolutely no reason to be as upset with me as she seems to be.

Let’s talk about school. Now, I would have flaming pants if I told you that this will be the only Litterbox about school (no duh), but this will probably be the only Litterbox about school directly. As a senior, I like to think of myself as an experienced veteran of the high school battleground. One might say that I have my own collection of purple hearts from my years here. To that one, I scoff; high school does not do nearly as much physical damage as it is rumored.

To begin, schoolwork itself has been an enormous challenge, especially for one as smart as me. See, high school can be even more difficult for intellectuals; not only are we entering classes that actually challenge us, but we are being pushed into an environment where our intellect is considered the norm. For those in advanced classes who do not feel this way, if you’re the best of the best now, be prepared to experience this when you enter college.

Modesty about my intelligence aside, I have a serious issue with procrastination. (Like you can’t tell—this Litterbox column is two weeks late.) Without deadlines, I probably wouldn’t know how to add yet. High school is a serious wake-up call to kids who slide through school with easy participation grades. Being a quiet and polite listener won’t work anymore; grades actually require effort here.

As if this weren’t enough to crush a young person’s dreams and self-esteem, kids become ravenous in high school. Honestly, something must happen to kids once they enter the school that makes all of their traits enhanced. Outgoing people suddenly become overenthusiastic and the center of the world; kids who silently brood to themselves suddenly find other people and loudly brood among each other; naturally anxious kids nearly get heart attacks and stress over every little detail; smart kids compete to be the smartest; and lazy people, like me, become complete sloths and suffer through every moment of it. There’s just something about this place that takes our true colors and shines a florescent light through them.

And this new exposure—this ability for other people to suddenly see our true colors—makes us do some crazy things. Date boys, do sports, make major altercations to our personalities and lifestyles and fashion choices, you name it! We try to change our colors to match the scheme around us. And we regret it later.

Do yourself a favor here and now; find people who match your colors. Don’t stress if your color is too laid back or too stressed out, too smart or dull, wimpy, nerdy, stuck up, insecure, too distractible or too serious. This is the big pond; there’s a rainbow of colors to complement you.