Everyone leaves high school. Sure, graduation feels like the biggest day of your life. Leaving your friends, seeing all of them go to universities around the country, hours and miles away, some are getting jobs and staying home while you leave, but things change. High school was hard. Tests, essays, presentations, SATs, applying to college, balancing sports.
High school was hard, or so you thought.
Everyone knows college is different. Everybody gets the jokes: "how long will your laundry last before you realize mom isn't there to do it for you", "how are you going to fund your shopping living on your own," and all of them.
Well, I'm here to say the same thing. College is most certainly different. Getting a job -- that isn't from 5-9 p.m.after high school -- is different. Almost everything is different. This isn't to scare anybody. I personally love the differences, changes, and adjustments that you endure.
School. Not much about school is the same, although lots might seem similar. Your parents can't physically be on you about every assignment, no one is in your life now to wake you up with breakfast made and drive you, and your only responsibility is essentially to yourself.
Friends. This is not the same as high school. Whether you're in the career force, or college, you'll soon realize this. Most friendships won't consist on the basis of "lots of people like them, and they're popular, so I want to be liked by them." There isn't the pretty girl at the table everybody knows anymore. Girls won't like you because you're well-liked by many, but truly are bitchy and self-centered. No one has reasons to be friends with anyone anymore, other then the fact that you're a decent person and deserve friendships you care about. This is adult world babe, roommates hate each other that live in the same little box for months on end. So befriend and be nice to your annoying coworker or classmate.
Life in general. College is partying, college is blowing things off and awful prioritizing with memories in mind. Yes, but this time in your life is also to realize that you are supposed to be going somewhere. Yes, high school is basically 12 years of still laughing at the "What I Want To Be When I Grow Up..." picture you drew in kindergarten. And it's not serious. But this is serious. You can't blow off the next four or so years coasting through classes and hoping your life falls into your lap, because it won't. I know because I am aimlessly waiting for this fall now and it's disappointing, and quite terrifying.
Moral of this long scattered idea of a little note is that life is changing, and you need to change alongside of it. Appreciate everything you have, but appreciate the options as well. Don't do the bare minimum. Now is the time to get out, do community service. Just because it's good, not just because it will look good on something. Make friends not because you have to, but because you have the capability to befriend strangers and meet someone great. Decide what you want to do in life and pursue it, find those who doubt you and prove them wrong. Start working out. Start running every morning or every night because months from now you'll feel good. Do things that feel good over look good.
Do things now. You're not in high school any longer. And that's a scary realization. But by your next graduation, you'll be an adult and need your life to be together. So start now, and start progressing towards the next step in life.
