Dear Class of 2016,
Let me start off by saying congratulations! You made it through high school! You passed that class you swore you would fail and now, you get to graduate. After four years of going to the same school and walking down familiar hallways you are on to new adventures!
As graduation comes closer, take a second away from all the craziness and cherish this special moment in your life. Cherish all the memories you made in high school and the accomplishments you made..
Moving to a new school or town can be exciting. No one will know who you are and you get to start over! I know you are dying to get out of your parents’ house so you can have complete freedom. But don’t forget what you are leaving behind as you move on to this new chapter.
You have gone to your last Friday night football game as a student. The next time you walk down those hallways of your school you won't student but an alumni. You got past that heartbreak freshman year and made it through all the high school drama. You had fun, you survived, and now it’s over.
Appreciate these moments before they turn into simple memories. Soon you will get that diploma and will no longer be the person you were these last four years. Your summer will be bittersweet, and all too soon August will come and it will be time to say goodbye to the people you have grown up with. You will try shoving 18 years of your life into small boxes and will wonder if you brought too much on move-in day.
You will say goodbye to your parents and be stuck in a place where you don’t know anyone. Professors won’t remember your name by the end of semester. You will cry a few times because you are homesick, stressed, and are sick of college food.
But that’s okay, because that’s freshman year in a nutshell. That's part of the experience and part of all the learning you will do at college. Soon you will find the people who make you laugh and make you feel at home. Hold on to those people because they are the ones who will be with you until the end. Then without realizing it you will be at the end of your freshman year of college. People who were strangers six months ago are now some of your closest friends.
So, senior, as you begin to experience new “firsts” don’t forget about your “lasts”. Take a minute to embrace this special moment of your life before it is gone. Hug your parents a little longer, spend some quality time with siblings, friends, and pets. College will be amazing but don’t rush these precious weeks.
A year from now, you will no longer be the same person as you are right in this moment. Cherish it before the moment is over.
Good luck, I know you will do great.
Sincerely,
A College Student
