Graduation! It's exciting, scary, nerve-racking, and dare I even say... sad. I know you've already read a bunch of these articles because I know I did last year, but let me try and make this one different. I want to let you know exactly what to expect.
The day before the last day you all will buzz around saying how you can't believe tomorrow is the day, the last day. You might even have a hard time falling asleep that night but you will and you'll wake up in the morning and get ready as usual.
Your mom will probably cry and make you breakfast and take your picture for Facebook before you drive off to school. You'll pick out a cute outfit, if you're like me you'll wear the same tank top that you wore on your first day of freshman year, or at this point after four long years, you might just wear sweatpants.
When you get to school everyone and everything will be absolutely buzzing. This is the last day of high school! The day could go two ways. It will either be full of finals and presentations or with class parties. Regardless of the type of day, around noon your lunch group will get teary eyed thinking about how this is the last day you'll be eating cold cheeseburgers on metal benches... but most importantly, they'll be realizing that this is the last day that you'll be doing so together.
Your favorite teachers will get choked up talking about what a joy you all were to have in class and how much you've grown over the years. You think you won't, but I promise you'll get misty-eyed saying goodbye to the teachers that cared about you and changed your life. Saying goodbye to your teachers is hard, too.
Yearbooks will be passed out and signed. Please sign everyone's that you can even if you weren't close. Please stay away from the "HAGS" and write a funny memory or two. It really will blow your mind how much you'll forget in even just a year. Don't forget to have your teachers or underclassmen that you're close to sign your yearbooks, too. They don't want you to leave them behind.
The last bell will ring and you'll clean out your locker, return all of your library books, and take one last lap around the place that you've ruled the past year. You'll say bye to the people that you only were friendly with because you grew up together. You'll say goodbye to all of your best friends and you'll know that the next time you see them you'll be in your cap and gowns.
You can laugh all you want, but I promise you that this day will be incredibly nostalgic. You'll remember things that happened when you were 14 and were long forgotten. You'll smile walking past your first locker and remember when you didn't know how to do a combination lock and were late to class on your first day. You'll give a hug goodbye to the first boy you ever had a crush on and laugh about how "heartbroken" you were when he "dated" someone else.
Remember that while graduation is a huge milestone, it doesn't mean that everything will change. Trust me, a lot will, but let me let you in on a little secret: You can still be friends after graduation! I know, I know it's crazy. It's a secret no one wants you to know..and it's not very hard either. With social media, there are no excuses. I Snapchat, text, FaceTime, call, tweet, or Facebook message my best friends from home every day and we're just as close as we were last June.
As you walk out of your high school this week or next, know that life is about to pick up speed, but know that everything will settle down in time and you'll find your new normal in no time.
Congratulations Class of 2017! Welcome to the club, we've been waiting for you!
