Dear Seniors and Juniors,
Seniors: First of all, congratulations on making it this far in your high school career and I wish the best of luck to whatever you choose to do post-graduation. I know a lot of you are counting down the days until graduation and cannot wait to go to college. I simply say, “That is good but pump your brakes!” You may have been hearing people say, “Enjoy your high school career and your few days left while you still have them.”
Although it is great to plan ahead for college or any post-graduation plans, you should cherish your high school days. You should enjoy those days because they are wonderful and you will eventually miss those days. For some, I know you may not have had the best high school days that you may of expected to have but these days will soon be history. You will look back on these experiences and appreciate the moments and blessings you had. With that being said, realize that once you graduate, there is no going back and you begin your first steps into the “real” world. Going to college will be your first “real” taste of the “real world.” These are three important things to know before you rush your high school days and get ready for college:
1. A lot of things you did in high school do not matter.
You may have earned numerous awards and honors in high school such as top ten, valedictorian, most intellectual, etc. Although these are nice honors and awards, in college you have to work for everything and prove you are worthy of being there. The most important things that will matter is if high school prepared you enough for college and if you are disciplined enough to stay on track.
2. You have more time to manage.
While this may be a good thing, it can also be stressful and bad for you. In college you have more time which means you may be more vulnerable to distractions or becoming too comfortable. Distractions can be such things as hanging with friends, partying or becoming too involved in clubs and organizations. Becoming too comfortable can cause you to oversleep or not go to class, forgetting to do class assignments or spending too much time on irrelevant things. Distractions and being comfortable can cause you to lose focus on your classwork, which in the long run has an effect on your class grade.
3. Expectations are higher.
Since you are a college student, you will be treated as an adult and will be expected to act as one. This goes for behavior, coursework and communicating with instructors and school officials over any concerns. Classwork is expected to be more challenging for you and others. As a college student, more and better is expected from you at all times and can be overwhelming.
Juniors: Although you are not graduating this year, you are one year away from graduation. This may not seem close or apparent to you right now but it is not far away. It is time to think about where you want to be when you graduate. What school do you want to go to? What career path do you want to pursue? You should be visiting colleges, taking and preparing for the SATs and ACTs and speaking with current high school seniors to figure out what you should do your senior year. If you are confused about it all, talk to your school counselor or any college students you know of. Overall, you should be aware that your high school says are winding down as well.
Whether it is good or bad, you can learn from your high school experiences. It may not seem like the best thing right now but it will be one of the most memorable times of your life. Enjoy your moment as a senior/junior and with your classmates. Do not rush it. Instead, be content and make the best of it.
Sincerely,
A college student who cares
