It’s time to move on. High school is ending and we are finally graduating, finally moving on and finally taking our lives into our own hands.
For many, I know this thought is terrifying. You won’t be surrounded by the same people, the same teachers and the same landscapes that you have been exposed to your entire life, and I will admit, it is definitely scary. But we can’t let our fears hold us back.
Personally, my hometown is known as “the bubble”, once you’re in, it’s deemed as extremely difficult to find your way out; however, I’m more determined to break the mold than ever.
I like to think that I have been prepared for graduation day my entire life. I have never felt truly at home in my town, I have always had the desire to move about and experience new things. Honestly? I just don't think I was meant to stay in one place. The thought of leaving and moving on to something new has always excited me, and these are some reasons why you should be excited too:
- You can reinvent yourself. In high school, you are surrounded by the same people you have known since pre-k. They know your secrets, your triumphs and your failures and everything inbetween. The second you try to do something that isn’t your usual, you are judged or questioned, but in college, no one knows you! Be whoever you have always wanted to be and don’t second guess yourself. You have nothing holding you back and everything pushing you forward, don’t waste this chance to be something greater than you ever were.
- You don’t have to play by the rules anymore. Well, not all the time at least. Now you are free, you aren’t under the watch of your parents and you get to live the way you envisioned, whether it is successful or not (I mean, you live and you learn right?) Make mistakes and learn from them, it’ll help you grow.
- You get to experience new things, new cultures, and new thoughts. If you are from a town like mine, the majority of the people you are constantly surrounded by are people very similar to you, but this doesn’t have to be the case in whatever next step you choose.
- You can live past your high school days. Too often I hear people telling me to make the most of my high school years, as they will be the, “Best four years of my life,” well… not if I don’t let them! I mean, I will admit that after tenth grade I truly came into my own and began to love highschool, but I am not letting these years define me.
- You get to choose where you go now. For most of us on Long Island, our parents chose where we lived, and in hand that dictated where we would go to school, but now the choice is yours.
When approached with a new reality, there is never truly a proper way to respond. I have friends who are the complete opposite of me, crying and terrified to start new, and that is okay! I have friends who are excited for a new chapter of their lives, but also cautious of the unknown, and that is perfectly fine! Some of my friends are completely indifferent about moving on, and there is nothing wrong with that. Some are like me, we’ve been ready to move on since the first grade, and that is great too.
I am sick of hearing that I should feel this way or that way about graduating, it is totally fine to feel whatever way you do because everyone handles situations differently. Who knows, maybe I’ll be crying in my room a week from now thinking about never seeing certain people again, or maybe I’ll be living it up and creating new memories with the people I love.
Either way, it is time to start new, and the best place to do that is the second you receive your diploma. One of my all time favorite quotes is from Babe Ruth, saying, “Don’t let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game.” You may be afraid of taking your next step, and rightfully so, but don’t let that fear stop you from creating a new and incredible life.
