Ready or not, here it comes. College. This is the moment we have all been reaching toward. We blinked and suddenly it's staring us right in the face. I'm sure every "just graduated high school" article sounds repetitive, because we are, after all, feeling the same emotions. The dark door of high school closes and the bright door of college opens. However, it hasn't arrived yet.
We stand trapped in the hallway between the two -- a hallway scattered with small windows showing our past and future on either side. Everyday leads us a step closer and closer to our new life until we finally step onto campus. However badly we wish that we could step right off the graduation platform and into our dorm room, we can't. The nail-biting wait begins. The anticipation deepens as we imagine our first days as college students. Within a short matter of time, we determine tiny things like our meal plans and make our way to the immense decision of our majors. Letters and emails stack up. The schedule is created. Our roommate is chosen. Thoughts of making new friends, passing classes and building our own future tie our stomachs into knots -- the good kind. It feels so close. Unfortunately, no matter how much we crave to jump right in, we must now suffer through the emotional roller coaster that comes from the remaining summer.
Ready or not, here it comes. Our last summer. A ride full of ups and downs, ups and downs and a whole lot more ups and downs. We experience our last prom, our last sports game, our last performance, our last college application and our last moments with family and friends. We also go through many firsts: our first job or internship, our first acceptance letter, our first time to vote and our first chance to be independent. We desperately cram as much time as possible with our friends and family into this tiny period. We think that an adventurous day spent with our closest friends will match the countless memories we've shared through the years. One last family game night will help us clasp onto the memory of those many evenings prolonged by the competitive spirit awakened in everyone, including your kind-hearted mother and innocent younger siblings. One final memory you hope will encompass the entirety of your life at home. We are bundled with opposite emotions: we are on edge to start our new life but long to hold onto our old one, we are ready to meet the challenge of college homework but regret taking advantage of high school level work and we are anticipating the freedom but don't want to say goodbye to Mom and Dad. We are learning that it is impossible to open the door if we hold onto the past. The term bittersweet has never been so relatable.
Ready or not, here it comes. Goodbye. We all knew this day would come but never imagined it would come so quickly. As you hug your friends and families and cry your goodbyes, you cannot help but flashback to all the late night food runs, car jam sessions, last minute beach trips and endless laughs over inside jokes. You promise to always keep in touch. You promise to "hit them up" during the holidays. You promise to never forget the times you had with them. But you know that eventually you will forget. You will forget the name of the obnoxious kid who sat behind you. You will forget the projects you pulled all-nighters to complete. You will forget the way your favorite home cooked meal smelled while you set the table. Without warning, all of your best times will begin to slip from your mind. All of the things you once took for granted will become your most treasured memories.
One of my favorite quotes is, "I wish there was a way to know that you're in the good ole days before you've actually left them." I urge you to apply this quote to every experience you encounter: the past, present and future. Look at your life as if you are always in the "good ole days." Move ahead with the expectation of beginning a new life where you can reminisce on these times. You are starting a new journey. You are producing new memories. You are becoming an official college student. You load the first box into your car and the next thing you know, you're on the road thinking, "Ready or not, here comes college."
