As I woke up, three weeks into the summer on June 1st, I opened my Timehop to see my graduation pictures from two years ago. First, I couldn’t believe that it’s been two years since I graduated high school. Second, it made me realize what current high school graduates are going through and all the feelings I had coming out of it. This summer is the last summer before their lives change in major ways. Some of their friends will go off to college maybe in the same state, maybe not, while other’s will be starting their first job or entering the military. However, this piece is not about what’s to come in college or the real world, but what this last summer means and the advice I have for the recent college graduates.
No matter what you decide to do this summer, make sure to spend time with your high school friends and your family. No matter what decision each person in your friend group decides to do after graduation, things are going to change. For me, my best friend moved to Ohio and goes to a school far away from the state we graduated in, while another one decided to spend a majority of the year with her family eight hours away from where we live. I chose to go to a small school in Maryland. We try to get together as much as we can now, but I wish we had spent just a little more time the summer before we all split up.
The second thing I think is all too important is to have as many home-cooked meals or food from your favorite restaurants while you’re home for the summer. With college comes interesting dining hall food and eventually you cooking for yourself in an apartment. Trust me, you may not like your mom’s food now, but you’ll be craving whatever she makes when you leave. For me, I couldn’t eat rice my whole first year of college, because I had nothing that compared to my mom’s Dominican-style rice cooked over the stove.
Finally, try to have some fun. I know that not everyone can avoid getting a summer job or running errands for your parents, but this is the last time you’ll be stress-free for the summer before you’re constantly looking for internships, more scholarships, studying for your GRE, and/or looking for jobs to pay off your student loans. If you can, do the things that you never had any time to do in high school or just simply make you happy. Re-read the Harry Potter series, go out to all the 18+ clubs in your town, visit that one place in town where you can go picnicking by yourself or with your family, because even though college gives you more freedom, it also comes with even more responsibility, and that makes it harder to do things you would do if you have more free time. When I was a high school graduate, I spent too much time worrying about how to prepare for college, and never took time to do the things I wanted to do before I left. Had I known, I definitely would’ve done more things like re-read the Harry Potter series.
High school was great, but nothing compares to college or the real world. It’s this weird balance between realizing you’re an adult and struggling with wanting to be a kid again. If there’s anything I could recommend for the recent high school graduates, it is to cherish the last summer you have in your hometown, because every summer after this one just won’t be the same.
