Dear Graduates,
Welcome to the greatest time of your life, or so every teacher, parent, and adult has said to you. By now, you are probably in that hectic and simultaneously rewarding part of senior year. It is at this point where you find yourself anxiously waiting for the moment that you can wear your prom dress to the actual prom and not just in your room when you try it on every night in anticipation, or looking for the perfect graduation dress to go under your robe even though you subconsciously know that no one will see it when you wear it anyway. You practice your graduation speech line by line, day in and day out, wondering what would be the perfect words to send off the Class of 2016 with. With all of this hype to fit into the one, short month of June, it's easy to feel confused about what leaving high school truly means. As a college freshman, wise and practically ancient to the high school scene, here are a few things that I should clear up for you before you step onto that podium or throw any caps into the air.
Senior year actually was the time of your life (sort of).
Okay, so this one wasn't a total lie. Senior year really is fun. Between senior pictures, homecoming, prom, and graduation, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to go back to that time in your life. However, there are so many incredible experiences up ahead (college! career! marriage! family! retirement!) in your life that will make senior year pale in comparison. One of the reasons why this phrase is thrown around so often about senior year is the simple fact that high school is the place where you've matured the most in life. You've formed opinions, created an image of yourself, and have made the brave decision to continue your life in whatever it is you've chosen to pursue (higher education, military, career). Believe it or not, you've become a person in the hallways of your high school. And senior year is like the ultimate party to help celebrate you moving on in the world. So, enjoy it while it lasts.
Those people who told you they'd keep in touch in your yearbook were lying (and vice versa).
I'd like to think we were all guilty of this one at some point. Because what else were you supposed to write in Tara's yearbook when you only had sophomore Spanish class together and she says hi to you every day in the hallway on your way to chemistry? The truth is, most of the people who you graduated with, only end up becoming Facebook friends in your life after high school. Yes, that sounds depressing and tragic right now, but senior year is really the last time that you'll be forced together with everybody. So, that girl that you secretly couldn't stand, who told you she'd make sure you stayed close in college? Don't worry about it.
Clean your Facebook account up because you're going to need that again. Seriously.
This is not a joke. It's a little too ironic that the social media website that you and your friends continually bashed for existing just so middle-aged mothers could brag about their children and play Candy Crush will become your biggest ally beyond high school. Yes, delete all of those priceless middle school Picnik photos where you're making duck lips and throwing up the peace sign because this is where potential roommates will stalk the crap out of you. Also, most colleges will have unofficial groups for each graduating class where you can join and introduce yourself to who you'll be spending the next 4+ years with. Also, keep in mind that the members of that group are in the same boat as you are. Keep an eye out for any questions that you may have about dorming, placement tests, orientation details, buying textbooks, and practically anything else. If you're the shy type (like me), don't be afraid to write your own question or form a little bio about yourself to post to the group when you've finally committed to a school. Bottom line: Facebook is very important.
Prom is fun, but it probably won't be the best night of your life.
Show me someone that says they do not love to pick out a formal outfit, dress up, take photo-booth pictures, and eat fancy food, because they are a liar. Because the truth is, everybody loves prom. However, when you look back on it, nine times out of 10, it will be sooooo overly-hyped. Every high school TV show and movie depicts prom as this phenomenal night filled with magic, extravagance, and fanfare. But in reality, it's just a school dance where everyone in attendance looks better than usual and gets really sweaty from dancing. Don't get me wrong; it really is a fun, fond memory to look back on. But, it is definitely not going to be the best night of your life.
Enjoy free textbooks while you can, because things get a little pricey from here.
If you don't read any of these points I've made in this article, read this one. You see, one of the hidden beauties of high school that no one really tells you about until it's over is that you don't pay for anything. Generally, high school gives you free textbooks, supplies, laptop access, and just about anything else that you'd need to succeed. However, once you receive your diploma, get ready to also receive bills. That's right, bills. Because colleges will nickel-and-dime you for pretty much everything that they can. Everything from meal plans you will most likely not fulfill to everything but the oxygen you breathe in on campus will cost you some change. Textbook cheats like Chegg and Amazon Rentals can give you better discounts on textbooks than most people selling their old ones. And don't buy all of your books for your first semester with the idea that you'll actually use them again (like I did) and get stuck trying to sell them off later. So, enjoy your free information while you can.
Meet people you'll be going to college with.
Odds are, you're going to head off to the same college as someone you go to high school with, whether they be your age or older. It's not a bad idea to get to know them if you don't already. Having a familiar face or faces around campus makes freshman year much less scary! Plus, the orientation and freshman process can get a little confusing, so two heads are better than one at trying to figure out what to do to prepare for the fall. This also helps in carpooling home from school on weekends and holidays. Just make sure they have good taste in music, because nobody likes a lame passenger-seat DJ on roadtrips.
Make the most of this upcoming summer. Seriously.
This is not a drill. This will likely be the last time you will have no real obligations in a summer, as well as the last chance for you and your high school pals to do immature, high school shenanigans. More so, this is the time for your friends to reminisce on your last four years, share your fears and hopes for college, and make this time in your lives count. So, go on trips. Stay out late. Take risks. Do everything that you've been talking about doing throughout high school because this is the summer to make memories that you can talk about for the rest of your life.
Don't sweat it, because there's no gym classes in college.
Or any other classes that might be deemed as pointless. For the exception of general requirements (maths, sciences, english, languages), you take the classes that you want to take. Your major classes will probably be your most favorite ones of all (if you're truly passionate about your major) and you can pick your professors yourself. So yes, college kind of wins in this department.
College orientation is actually going to amazing.
We can all agree that icebreakers are awkward and uncomfortable. However, orientation is where you'll find some of the greatest people you will ever meet in college; your best friends. Strange enough, it's almost fate that you'll find people with the same major as you, same personality as you, or any other similarity that brings people together. So, don't rule it out as "lame" or "useless" because you may end up finding yourself actually enjoying the cheesy name games and information sessions.
Thank your favorite teachers, because you're going to miss their guidance.
Sure, you can always visit them when you're home. But the truth is, you're going to have some difficult and borderline unreasonable professors. There's really no escaping that. So take the time out now to show your favorite teachers how much they've helped you get to where you're going to be. Keep in touch with them and remind them how much you appreciate all that they've done to push you towards success. Seriously, it's something you should do.
Don't cry, because college is a (kind of) better version of high school.
Okay, cry a little bit. But in the grand scheme of things, high school was a smallish stepping stone compared to where you're going to be in life. Yes, college is going to be harder, and the work is a little more time consuming, but it is nothing that you can't handle. Freshman year of college is known to be hectic and definitely intimidating, but it really does have it's perks that trump over high school. Only four classes a day? Fridays off? Free events I can go to at night? Month-long breaks? Out by May? It probably sounds too good to be true. But at the end of the day, college is for young adults and high school is for teenagers. So, don't cry too much at graduation.
At the end of the day, your high school graduation is not an end. It is only a beginning. As cliche as that sounds, you'll find at the end of your freshman year of college that it couldn't be more true. So, stand tall, shake a hand, and hold your diploma with pride. Because there are some really great things ahead of you. You just need the courage to move ahead and claim them. Congratulations, Class of 2016. Make us proud.
Sincerely,
A college freshman.
