You have pranced across the stage in your baggy gown and oversized cap, taken millions of pictures with your teary eyed family and friends, and said goodbye to your school for the last time. It’s a time of many mixed emotions. You’re happy because all the work you put in the last four years has finally paid off, sad because some of your friends aren’t going to be by your side every day, and anxious because you’re walking into a whole new world and, most of the time, you are going in blind. You’ve graduated high school – now what?
There is a wave of relief, a weight being lifted off your shoulders as soon as that piece of paper hits your fingertips. You’ve spent the last four years working towards college and now it’s finally here. The stress of getting a perfect GPA and test scores is gone, because you’re in! It’s time to spend the next few months sitting by the pool with friends and the biggest worry you have is your summer job that you need to save money for the next year. You’re bonding with your new roommates and learning more about your new school, yourself, and what you want to do with your future. It’s a time of excitement and bliss, a feeling that will come and go within your college career.
Behind the happiness is the sadness, the feeling of letting everything go and missing everything. Everything you do seems like a last – the road trips, the late night food runs, the last time you’ll have all of your friends together. Some of your friends will be miles away, while some are staying behind. Then there is the pain of leaving your parents, the ones who are always by your side to feed, clothe, and guide you throughout your youth. The thought of them leaving you on move-in day breaks your heart and you’re not sure if you’ll be able to let them go without sobbing uncontrollably. On top of your friends and family, you have your pets. After a long day of school, you won’t have your furry best friends to greet you and comfort you when you feel as though the world is coming down on you hard, and while you may not think of it at first, you will definitely notice it once you’re gone.
Classes, housing, and food plans. Things you didn't have to think about throughout high school. There are so many new things to worry about, things that never crossed your mind. You thought applying was the hard part, but there is much more to come. Questions will cross your mind like what meal plan do I need? Where am I living? What major will I be? What classes will I take? Will I rush? What even IS rush? Anxiety will be at an all time high as you maneuver your way into the college world and you’ll begin to feel lost at times. It begins to make you feel like you aren’t prepared to make the big jump.
There are so many emotions when transitioning into the college world but never fear. There is the world out there that awaits you that could never be experienced in your small little high school world. Once you are in college, you may be self-conscious and scared at first, but eventually, you will find yourself and learn who you are and what you like and meet friends that will never leave your heart. You will make some of the best memories of your life in college. Don’t waste them being sad about the past and anxious about the future.
