It’s your senior year, and the May 1st college decision deadline is rolling in faster than you could have ever imagined. Everyone from your parents to your teachers to even your nosey neighbors are dying to know: where are you going to college? One of the biggest decisions of your young life is upon you, and once you’ve finally made your choice, there are seven things that we all can’t help but do to commemorate this moment.
1. You blast your choice all over social media.
It doesn’t matter if you have not looked at your Facebook in months, the time is now to make your royal decree that you have made a decision about what you are doing for the next four years of your life. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, maybe even your old Myspace account you haven’t touched since middle school, it does not matter where you post about your college of choice. You just need to let the world know that your period of waiting is finished.
2. Suddenly that t-shirt with your college name on it goes with everything.
Who knew that bright orange was the perfect color to compliment your skin tone? It has never occurred to you until this moment that your college t-shirt goes with possibly every article of clothing you own. Going to your brother’s Confirmation or your cousin’s wedding? That t-shirt is perfect, or so you will tell your mom repeatedly when she begs you to wear absolutely anything else, including the raggedy shirt in the back of your closet with the giant hole in it plus bleach stains.
3. You try to convert the entire family.
You never knew until this moment how much it bothered you to see your sister wear that t-shirt for a school that just waitlisted you. You want the full and undivided support of your entire family, and for some this includes a trip to your college’s bookstore to find every single member of your family some sort of memorabilia or clothing to represent your school. You even find yourself wanting to give aunts and uncles you have not seen since your eighth grade graduation party a pencil with your school’s logo on it. Just in case someone sees them using it, they can be sure to tell that person their niece or nephew is a student at that particular school.
4. All the college binders and fliers get shredded.
For months you have had a laminated piece of paper with all of your usernames and passwords on it for all the different student portals each school had you create. The stack of college brochures and information sheets looks to be taller than your dog at this point, carefully organized with your top choices stacked on top. However, you cannot explain the feeling of bliss that comes over you the moment you knock that stack over and shred your username and password cheat sheet. All the months of agonizing over which school to choose is done, and you cannot help but let out a cheer as all the papers are cleared from your life.
5. Lurking senioritis becomes a very real thing.
Maybe you have been fighting it since the very first day of school, or perhaps you only showed up to your first class on day one with a pencil that was not even sharpened and some gum. But now with your college decision made, your brain seems shut down as the ability to focus in class becomes a very real struggle. All you can think about is how amazing it is going to feel to get your diploma on graduation day, and you can almost taste the freedom you are going to feel when you head off to school next fall.
6. Your parents call people you've never spoken to to tell them about your college decision.
They were so nervous the first day you headed off to kindergarten, but finally after eighteen years of driving you everywhere and listening to every single detail of your life, they have managed to help you choose a college. It does not matter if you get annoyed when they feel the need to tell five different people where you are going to school each time you go to the grocery store. They have been there for every accomplishment, heartache, disappointment, and memory. They are so proud of you and cannot fathom that the little five-year-old they sent off to kindergarten with a Blue’s Clues backpack is actually an adult now. Cherish these memories because they were your biggest cheerleaders from the beginning and cannot wait to see all the incredible things you do as a college student.
7. You reflect on your high school memories.
The nostalgia hits you all the time during your last few weeks of high school. You find yourself confused by a wave of emotions, maybe ranging from excitement to nervousness to sadness. Where did the time go? Wasn’t it only yesterday that you were a shy little freshman who carried all of their textbooks with them throughout the whole day? College was something big and scary that everyone talked about, but you never thought the day would actually come when it would be your day to choose. Just know that it is okay to be scared. This chapter of your life is coming to a close, but the next chapter is eagerly waiting to begin. Wherever you have decided to continue your journey this coming fall, congratulations to you. You have worked so hard for the past four years, and it is an amazing feeling to see of all your hard work come to fruition now. Let the adventure begin, and welcome to college. :)
