Adrenaline is coursing through your veins as you try to quickly gain control of your cloud-shaped vehicle. The music is intensifying while others seem to be flying past you, nearing their destination, the finish line. Oh no! You slipped on a banana! How on earth did you not see that banana in the first place? No matter now, you need to get to the end. A RED SHELL, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You get knocked down once more. Either way, whether you are falling behind or in the lead it doesn’t matter. You still need to turn in your assignments that you are severely behind on in order to graduate. The finish line is now in sight! The cap and gown are in your grasp as you careen down the ever-winding Rainbow Road. You made it!! You thought you wouldn’t make it, but you did! Your sigh of relief can be heard from a mile away as you place your controller down by your side.

Oh wow… I think my subconscious slipped into this article.

I’m sure that all students will agree that after three years of attending high school, there seems to be a pattern in the school year. The first quarter is truly about acclimating and getting into the groove of school. Once the student has reached that stage of security, there comes the holiday season. Festivities make academics a blur as one’s grades begin to Fa La La La Fail. The stress of the ending semester starts to settle in like a gradual fog.  However, by the middle of the third quarter, there seems to be an altar in scholastic disposition that one can liken to the final lap of a classic video game known as Mario Kart. 

We all are familiar to some extent with this classic game brought to us by Nintendo. All of the beloved characters we have known from past video games of Mario all the way down to Donkey Kong can be selected to battle it out on the festive and thematic race tracks. Three laps are all it takes to decide the victor.

The race track can be likened to the timeline of our school year. Restarting in each quarter may seem repetitive, but as pace inevitably increases, you don’t seem to have the same clueless feeling as you had in the beginning. Instead, you know which part of the track is best for you and which parts should be avoided as you go through the process all over again, this time, with raised stakes. Memorable experiences and friends along the way make for the perfect bonus, like a mystery box one would collect along the trail. Extra curricular activities can help fortify your adventure like a speed mushroom, helping you jolt forward with renewed enthusiasm as the year progresses. 

Once the fourth quarter arrives, you know it is the final lap. This is where things get personal. All of this year has amounted to this moment as you realize things are coming to the end. You need to finish. And you need to finish as best you can. There is nothing worse in Mario Kart than not being able to cross the finish line before the time runs out. This fear of not making it on time can really make you feel like static as you frantically try to perform to your best ability. The part that I’m really hanging onto is when you soar past the finish line and hear that beautiful high whistle and victory music. This can be considered the last day of school, or even more rewarding as a Senior, the graduation ceremony.

Though the tournaments of Mario Kart will inevitably have their ups and downs, one thing is for certain. Mario Kart is one of the best games to play. Period. I hope whoever is reading this and likening their own lives to this blessed game can truly enjoy the ride they’re on and live in the present. It’s always harder to steer your way to success when you are constantly terrified of drifting into a ravine. If you do, just get back up and start from where you left off. It’s not the end of the world, just the beginning of your tournament.