Only 68 days, 1,632 hours, 97,922 minutes or 5,875,231 seconds. You could say that I am counting down to graduation in all possible increments.

All seniors look forward to the day when they get to don a stiff gown, place an oddly shaped cap on their head, and sit for hours, waiting for some piece of paper. I myself have grown to worship the promise of graduation date.

Since the middle of my junior year, my mantra has been "Can I graduate now?" Over the trivial-mindedness of high school, I longed for the moment when I could feel the liberating weight of a diploma in my hands. For more than a year, the thought of this moment drove me to write endless English compositions and evaluate thousands of integrals.

This feeling has not faded. If anything, with senioritis kicking in, it's only intensified. However, with graduation quickly approaching, I find myself viewing things in a different light.

I once dreaded the hallways, with their bland paint job and lacking dcor, but now I realize I will miss the familiarity of them, the fact that they allow you to get from one end of the school to the other in under four minutes so that you're always on time for your third period physics class.

The population of 2,000 adolescents that comprise the student body once seemed excruciatingly small. Everyone seemed to know everyone, and furthermore, everyone else's business. However, I know I will soon miss this close-knit feeling that comes with this size. It's comforting to personally

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know at least half the people you pass between classes.

Next year at college, in a sea of strangers, I know that I will be grateful to pass by one familiar face over the course of a day.

It is these little things that make me know that some part of me will miss high school. Whether it is that quick passing smile from a friend, or that teacher who so intently cares about your learning, I admit that there are definitely things that I will be sad to leave behind. I still desire graduation, but I am able to appreciate what I have for the remaining time. This is plenty to keep me going for the 68 days remaining.

Lauren McCarthy is a senior at Masuk High School, Monroe, and a copy editor for CTTeens. You may reach her at ctteens@ctpost.com.