Graduating high school may seem like the end of the world. For me, I can remember saying goodbye to friends I had known since kindergarten, but here is the truth: the people who matter will stay, and the people who don't won't.
Besides saying goodbye to dear friends, you will also say goodbye to a life you once lived. From waking up every morning to get to school by 8 a.m. to now skipping your first three classes of the day, college will teach you what is important and what you should have never cared so much about. Your four years of college will go by a lot faster than high school, so enjoy every moment and remember change is good. The following 13 things once consumed your daily high school life, but in college they are extinct. This is definitely not a see you later, it is a big goodbye.
1. Who your “crew" is.
Once you enter college you will see how it doesn't matter how many girlfriends you having rolling with you. There is no popular crew, there are no cliques because there are thousands of people surrounding you. Half the time you won't even know who is in what grade. Having the coolest group of friends won't matter because all anyone wants to do is make friends who respect them, and who are like them. It doesn't matter who rules the school anymore, as long as you have some good friends to hold your hair back after a rough night, and to stay in and binge-watch Grey's Anatomy.
2. How many sports you played.
For most people, your days as #1 on the field will disappear unless you go on to play a sport in college. Being a three-season athlete means little to nothing in college and may help out for a philanthropy event or two, but no one cares how many varsity letters you received.
3. Having the cutest outfit.
You will never wear jeans again in college. Okay you might, but you no longer have to wear an outfit for eight hours on end. What you wake up in and go to your first class in may not be what you finish your last class in. These days "sporty but reppin' my sorority" is trendy and it doesn't get any comfier than that.
4. Relationships.
No one cares if you have had a boyfriend for five years or hooked up with some random guy at the bar. After high school you will see that having a boyfriend is not a priority and ladies night can be way more fun.
5. What time you eat.
Eating in college is an all day kind of thing. You don't have to wait for a bell to ring to signal that it's time for lunch. You can go to the dining hall whenever you want and eat as much as you want and no one is going to ring a bell and tell you time's up. This has its pros and cons, but you are in control now. No more brown paper bag lunches, but watch out for the freshman 15.
6. Getting a class ring.
Are you really going to rep your high school mascot on your finger when you are now enrolled in a university? Probably don't.
7. DVR.
Watching TV has never been easier. No longer do you have to search 10 minutes to find the remote and make sure you recorded last week's Scandal. There's the wonderful Internet which provides you with some of the greatest wonders of the world such as Netflix and Hulu.
8. Going to the mall.
After high school, Friday mall trips with your friends will not be a thing. And neither will meeting up with boys at the food court. Online shopping will become an addiction and quite possibly your downfall. But it is one of the greatest things that will happen to you. And who doesn't love getting a package, even if it's from yourself.
9. Gym class.
I am happy to tell you, you will never have to take a physical education class again. But you will see that the gym is a very popular place to be. In college you may not be rock climbing, or learning how to catch a ball, but you will find the school gym to be one of the most poppin' places on campus. You will most likely be surrounded with people who can run and lift for days, so I would get some running shoes this summer.
10. If you graduated with honors.
In college, no one is going to care what you got in what class and what your GPA is. As long as your GPA is high enough to rush, study abroad, or stay enrolled, than that's all that matters.
11. Who has a car.
In college you walk everywhere, so it's back to the days without a license and hello to walking in rain, snow or shine.
12. Your music tastes.
In college, for the most part, you don't get a choice of what song comes on at a party, so start getting used to all types of music and don't be that person that only listens to country.
13. Rumors.
In high school rumors spread like wild fire. And you probably lost a lot of sleep over them. In college you will learn to speak up when necessary and to close your mouth when needed. Ignore all the bad and focus on the good and I promise your life will be a lot better.
