To The 2019 High School Graduates | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Education

To The 2019 High School Graduates

You've graduated high school. What's next?

440
To The 2019 High School Graduates
Photo by Vasily Koloda on Unsplash

There is so much more in store for you.

Whether you're sad to end the best 4 years of your life or have been ready since middle school to enter the real world, there are things to remember.

Your life has not ended. You won't lose your friends of 18 years when you go off to college. You can make this last summer the best yet (because trust me, you'll never have a free summer again). You CAN be upset about ending a chapter of your life. It's okay to miss the walls you've walked through for so long as you move on to new walls, a college campus.

DON'T define your future with the last four years. You can remake yourself. You can be that person who never found their place in high school but excelled in every way in college. Who's to say what the face of the future looks like? Your parents? Your teachers? They don't decide how you plan to take on the rest of your life. Only you have the power to either continue your success, or change it's path for the better.

Do not dismiss the memories, the friends, the education that has made you who you are today. You may have hated high school, despised the people you spent every day with, or always believed this time of your life wasn't what you amounted to. But all in all, every single person you have met has affected the way you've lived. Every one and everything makes a difference in your world. Be thankful for them, whether or not they've been a positive light in your life. They may have been the reason you don't act certain ways or do certain things, and that's a lesson to be grateful for.

Take your education SERIOUSLY. Once you enter college, there are no late turn-ins, minimal second chances, and one shot to do it right the first time. Learning is a privilege. Remember, not everyone is able to attend a Big-Ten School, play a sport in college, or even attend community college. For many people, there is much riding on their education. So, if you have the chance, take it. Be the smartest you've ever been. Get involved in your school's activities and clubs. Get as much as you can out of this experience.

And lastly, take time to enjoy everything you do. Life goes by too fast. Take a mental picture when you're in a moment you know you will miss one day. Laughing with your friends in the dorms. Eating microwave noodles and pop tarts for dinner. Going out with the new friends you've made. Every tailgate you've been to, not including the ones you can't remember (we've all been there). Moments that may seem meaningless at the time are the ones you will think about when you're out of college and pushed into an environment of a 9-5 work day, bills ALWAYS, and vacation days in single digits.

Just breathe, enjoy your life, and look forward to your future.

What's up next for you? You decide.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

418972
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

291751
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments