I know I'm not the only one that's been feeling sorry for herself lately. I couldn't help but think of the things that I was missing out on this spring until it finally got through my thick head that those things weren't happening anyway - for anyone. It got me thinking of all the the things that I'm so lucky to have experienced, and what it would've been like not to. Most people can agree that senior year of high school was a blur. Between college applications, APs, acceptances, not to mention rejections, and facing the fact that your life will most likely drastically change in a matter of months, you barely have time to breathe. With that comes rituals, steps that make this separation more real, like decision day, grad week, prom, graduation… All of these things helped me realize that my time at Lycée Français de New York was coming to an end, and gave me a bittersweet goodbye. If you're graduating high school this spring, I'm not here to tell you you're missing out, I'm here to tell you that you don't need all those things to feel like your hard work was worth it.
You feel cheated, and I get it. You made it this far and it feels like all of your rights of passage have been ripped right out from under you. Here's the thing, all those events are just constant reminders of everything high school brought you, good or bad. You know who your friends are, which teachers you'll be visiting next year, and the phrases you're beyond excited to never have to hear again. You don't need a day with a special title to make those things clear. At this point, you have what a lot of us are having a hard time finding: something to look forward to. The thought of going from one drastic lifestyle to another sounds more daunting than it does encouraging, but trust me, college won't let you down.
One good thing that came out of being quarantined is how clear it is that everyone was so beyond happy where they were before - especially college students. That's a beacon of hope. I don't doubt that you've worried that college won't be everything you'd hope, but whether it be freedom from your parents, meeting new friends, or finding inspiration from your classes, it's clear now more than ever that you'll have reason to be happy. No matter what, you know you have college waiting for you, full of new experiences, and lacking reminders of your past life. Better yet, you now know that all the returning students are going to give next semester their all, and do everything they can to make up for lost time. And I thought my first quarter was better than I ever could have hoped...
Your expectations are high, as they should be. We all want our lives to go back to the way we left them, and if that can't happen, then they ought to be better. As greedy as that may sound, it's fair. We haven't all suffered the same way, or to the same extent. We haven't all said goodbye to the same experiences. Nevertheless, we've all felt disappointment, fear, exhaustion, and hope, and it's bringing us together. Most importantly, it's encouraging us to remember the good things we're so impatient to get back, and to leave the bad behind. We know now more than ever that those things are not worth wasting our time on.
Class of 2024, we're all ready to make college home again, just as much for us as for you. Be proud of yourself for becoming a part of your new campus, and even though you might not feel rewarded now, trust that everything you're going through on your way to your new home will be worth it. We'll make sure of it.
