As someone who has graduated from both High School and College, I feel like there is a lot that I can share with people who are going through those transitions in their life right now. I decided to interview one of my best friends Cathleen and my little sister Taylor. Cathleen -- Cat -- is entering her final semester of college at MCLA and my little sister is graduating High School and applying to college.

1. Whats the hardest part about graduating college/high school?

Cat: Knowing now that I have to find a job and that if I want to go back to school it will be all my own choice and add a further expense to my life.

It is understandable to be afraid of entering the real world after you leave college. I know many people are annoyed with the term "real world" but let's be honest, unless you are living on your own and are paying for everything in your life on your own completely you are not living in the real world. The real world is supporting yourself without a safety net. Most college kids don't have to worry about not having a place to sleep. Leaving college may seem scary but there is something freeing about being done with school and having the opportunity to start building your life. I'm not saying that it is in any way going to be easy but it will all be worth it in the end.

Taylor: This is one of the first adult decisions I have had to make all on my own. I have to figure out what my future is going to be like and what I am going to do with my life.

Starting college was a scary experience for me too. I remember my heart dropping into my stomach when I watched my parents drive away from my campus after dropping me off in my dorm. I had no idea what I was going to do. I had never lived on my own before and I knew no one at this school. But I figured it out. I met many people who I probably should have stayed away from and it took me a long time to find the people that I needed in my life and to learn how to respect my self enough to keep those who were not worth my time away from me. You'll figure it out too, all in good time.

2. What is the easiest part about leaving college/high school?

Cat: There wont be any of the stress of being in class all of the time where people expect you to constantly have your s**t together when normally you don't.

This couldn't be more accurate. If there is one thing I don't miss about being in college it is the whole aspect of going to class every day. Lectures have never been my forte and I never really got anything out of class discussions. I enjoy the freedom of being able to choose what I want to do with my day beyond my work schedule and not having any real obligations to attend to.

Taylor: Everyone lightens up on you during the application process. Your teachers know you're stressed so instead of giving a test or an essay they say "hey lets have cake today during class" and I'm like "okay."

While I don't remember teachers lightening up that much during the application process I will admit that they do tend to cut you a little bit of slack. They know that you are stressed out already about hearing back form schools and getting all of your applications in on time. However, just know that though this may seem really stressful now, this is definitely not the most stressful part of college that you will experience.

3. What are you going to miss about college/high school?

Cat: I'm going to miss having new experiences on campus with new friends. Having constant opportunities to meet and interact with new friends on a daily basis.

This is similar to what I miss about college. I can honestly advise anyone going into their final year of college to take the time to experience everything that your college has to offer. Put yourself out there and get involved. Leave your mark on the school. If there is one thing I miss the most about MCLA it is the dance company. Joining that club was the best decision I ever made and I made a lot of great friends through the program. Now that I'm gone I can go back and support those who are still keeping it going.

Taylor: I'm going to miss the routine of the day and being able to see the same people every day. The structure of high school is like a safety net.

College is your chance to build your own routine and your own structure yet still have the wiggle room to be a little spontaneous with your day. That is what being an adult is all about, you need to find your own routine and a balance in your life. It won't be easy at first but you will soon learn how to juggle school, social life and possibly even a job while you are at college.

4. What scares you about leaving college/high school?

Cat: Not being able to use college as a security blanket against the real world. It enables you to avoid a lot of real world responsibilities.

This is very true. Yes you pay for school but a lot of people use loans and haven't had to star paying them back yet. So you aren't really thinking about what is going to happen after you leave and you have to start paying back your debts. Nothing scared me more than when I got a call telling me that my student loans are overdue and that I needed to start paying them asap. Though you may not have the security of your college campus forever you will learn to adapt, just like you learned to adapt to life living at college.

Taylor: Over the past twelve years of school I have been in the safe bubble and I haven't really had to fend for myself. Now I'm being flung into the open air of college and I have to figure my life out.

This seems to be a common theme. Being afraid of not having a safety net to fall back on and having to figure out what you are doing with your life. Just know that the first year of college is not the time when you have to have this all figured out. You don't even have to know what you are going to major in the first year you go to college. You can take a year to figure out what you want to do with your life. Don't think that you have to have this all figured out immediately.

5. What advice do you have for others?

Cat: When you're a junior get to know the people who are in your class. Those are the people that you are going to be leaving school with so you might as well get to know them. Also, school comes first. Make sure you prioritize your work because it could be the deciding factor when it comes to your graduation. Doing your work and even participating in internships are going to be what help you during the time after college, not the parties that you go to.

This is true. You need to prioritize your school work because if your grades tank during the final stretch it could determine if you graduate or not. Parties are fun and all but going out and getting drunk should not be more important to you than getting through your education. You should also get to know the people in your class but don't do it because you feel like you have to. If you don't feel like you click with them then just graduate and get out. That's what I did. I left college being friends with one person from my graduating class and we became friends by accident, not because I felt like I needed to be friends with someone who was going to be leaving school at the same time as me.

Taylor: Be prepared to lose friends. The people you go to high school with are not always going to be there and that's okay. Quality over quantity. The character of the company you keep is way more important that how many friends you have.

I have lost a few friends in my life time and it's true when they say that it doesn't matter how many friends you have but what kind of people you surround yourself with. Finding people who make you happy is the most important thing you can do for yourself mentally because they are going to be the ones who feed your subconscious. You can either choose people who feed your mind negative thoughts or you can choose people who are going to feed your mind positive vibes.

Leaving college and leaving high school are both equally frightening but you can adapt to any situation. These experiences are going to be what shape your life into what it is supposed to be. And although it will be scary it will be just as exciting at the same time.