With the school year just beginning and seniors attending their first "last" days of high school, I began to think back on that transitional time where things began to change. So much stress, worry, and emphasis are placed on this time in a student's life, and so many false statements are told to these young adults that simply do not and will not ring true. With that in mind, I compiled a list of things that I would tell myself if I could go back in time.
1. High school is NOT the best time of your life; they are the most comfortable days of your life.
Many will say that high school is the best time of their lives, and they are sorely mistaken. Between studying things that are of no interest to you, navigating cliques so set and obvious they can be seen from the space station (although they are blatantly denied), and a structure so rigid it is stifling, high school is NOT the time of your life. With that being said, it is the most comfortable. You have friends that you have known since you were a small child and the constant and unwavering support of your family. While neither of those go away in college/post-high school, it does seem more distant even if it is not. There is not a "best time" of your life, and someone who says such a thing is setting high schoolers up for disappointment. I found college to be even better than the high school I left behind. It was a new land full of brand new experiences and opportunities like I have never had before. Things seemed to be fair and equal, with interview processes for positions being based on qualifications instead of popularity. The classes are truly stimulating and actually teach you things that you are interested in. You choose your major and minor, and in doing so, choose your own path. College is not the terrible experience where professors are trying to fail you as some of your high school teachers may lead you to believe. It is the opening of doors and the beginning of a fledgling adulthood. Even so, I would be reluctant to say that college is the best time of your life. While it is full of opportunity and new relationships, and also much more aligned with your interests, there are times when you must do things that do not interest you. If you follow the correct path and major in something you love doing, you will in turn create a career that you love doing. That will seem even better than the glorious college years, but will eventually even be surpassed by the creation of your own family. College is not a time where you have 4 years to be the highlight of your entire existence. Instead, it is a building block. Each experience grows into the next, and each experience that seems to be the best at the time grows into something even better.
2. You will NOT forget all of your friends, just all the friends that you were not close with in the first place.
Sorry seniors, that whole last year where you are all teary-eyed and swearing to always stay in touch with every single one of your classmates is the biggest facade you will inadvertently be a part of. With that being said, many say that you never keep any friends from high school, and that too is a lie. You will see the friends that you want to see; you will make time for the friends that you were actually close with, but as for the classmates that you only spoke with in class, not so much. You will, however, occasionally come across a picture on social media that keeps you up to date on their life post-high school. As for the close friends of many years, you will still stay in touch with them even if you can not meet in person very often.
3. You will NOT constantly be homesick.
For those moving off for college, you will not be overcome by a crippling case of homesickness. While you may miss your family and friends somewhat, if you properly get involved on campus you will be far too busy and entertained with your life to be homesick. I am not saying you will not miss your family and friends, because you probably will, but if you get involved you will form relationships with people that help keep that pang to a minimum. It is all about adapting to your new environment. You can allow yourself to sit in you room and be miserable all the time thinking back on high school, or you can get involved and be happy. Choose wisely.
4. Everyone on a college campus does NOT party, and you will not be forced/pressured to do so.
College is notoriously known for being the wild period of time in your life, the time where you have your very first spur of independence and run with it. While you do in fact have independence, you are in no way forced to make that independence be full of alcoholic binge drinking and drugs. The campus will have individuals who go out and party on Thursday nights. The campus will also have individuals who stay in and watch a movie with some friends. Neither is necessarily forced on you. Make your own choice, and you will meet people who make the same choice, too.
5. You are NOT doomed to fail miserably at all of your classes, and it is not certain that you will have to change your study habits.
Many times you were probably told by a frustrated high school teacher that when you got to college you would fail if you maintained the same study skills. For some people this is true, people who did not study at all for instance, but for others there is nothing further from the truth. I came to college nervous about failing classes, and the first semester made A's and B's and the next semester made the President's List. What changes did I make to my study routine? Nothing! If anything, I study less now and have more free time now than I did in high school. Spending fewer hours actually in class allows you more outside time to study without being mentally exhausted and also gives you more free time to reward yourself. With this mixture, when you do study you can focus more because you are not so tired and therefore have to study fewer hours because you are doing so more intently. The average school day is around 7-8 hours depending on the high school. My absolute most busy day of the week this semester is comprised of around 5 hours, and that's with me taking an 18-hour load. In college you take fewer classes, allowing you more time to focus on just those classes. You are NOT going to fail so long as you do what you are supposed to. Teachers that say this are more than likely using a scare tactic to make you study more. They may have good intentions, but they are setting you up for needless worry.
