Graduating high school is a rollercoaster of emotions for everyone, whether you want to admit it or not. Everyone looks at graduation differently; some may be sad, happy, conflicted etc. Everyone who goes, knows it's ultimately a really fun experience. Your entire senior class comes together for one occasion and you all celebrate surviving the worst / best 4 years of your life. So without further ado I present to you, the many feelings you experience while graduating.
1. Happiness
This one is probably the most obvious. I mean after four stressful years who wouldn't be excited to finally graduate? You've worked your butt off to make it here and you get to do it with your closest friends. Your family and the people most important to you, come to watch you finalize this monumental achievement.
2. Relief
There really is no better feeling than walking across that stage to receive your diploma. You walk back to your seat feeling like a massive weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You are no longer required to go to school. You can take an entire year to travel if you want. You can do whatever you want because you are a high school graduate now!
3. Sadness
Although this day is full of excitement and such, the sentimental aspect is certainly very apparent. You've seen a lot of your fellow classmates almost everyday for the past 13 years. Now you're all going your separate ways. Some may be close to home, but other thousands of miles away. This is a very weird thing to adjust to. Saying goodbye to your friends is hard, but knowing they are just one FaceTime away makes it a lot easier.
4. Anxiousness
We tend to fear the unknown. All our lives we've had a consistent structure when it came to our education. Most of us went to class with the same kids and similar teachers, in the same school system. Now that we've graduated there's a lot of different options and opportunities for us to choose from. Not to mention the fact that sitting and waiting for your name to be called, wondering if you might face plant on your way up could case an panic attack alone.
5. Optimism
This is it. It's the beginning of the rest of our lives. We can be whomever and do whatever we want. Some of us will become doctors, police officers, CEOs, heck maybe even president. Some of us will join the armed forces, others will go directly into the workforce. Most of us will be attending colleges, whether 2 or 4 years. The world is now our oyster and we are simply little pearls waiting to see what our future holds.
6. Epiphany
We've known for a very long time now that this day was coming. It was never a surprise but for some reason we're never quite ready for it. It all hits us that day. We realize that we're no longer children, we are adults. We will have new responsibilities that we are not used to. Most of us will be moving out of our house where our mom won't be there to do our laundry and cook us dinner. We are now independent.
7. Rejoice
GUYS, WE FREAKING DID IT! We survived what we thought would be the longest 4 years of our lives. We met all the requirements to receive that well deserved diploma. We pulled all nighters and did our homework the period before it was due. We managed to pass the classes with the hardest teachers and didn't get into too much trouble with the principal. You never have to see the people you loathe ever again! You are free!
