"You've graduated, now what?" These words hung in the air by a thin thread of fear and the frequency of my Mom’s voice, when suddenly, I felt like the poster girl for "Clueless."
Exams? Check. High school? Check. No more waking up early in the morning? Check?
The zealous excitement that came as the six-month strong stress bid adieu from my shoulders slowly got replaced by a sudden pang, a sudden realization. Nothing will ever be the same. We all know it. Once we’ve graduated, there’s no going back. It’s like a chemical reaction, irreversible in nature. Well, almost.
Sure, school had given me everything, most of all friends and frenzy before the exams. Now that it was no longer a part of my life, I felt comforted. I had three months of time in front me. Three long and vacant months, it felt like an eternity when I began my holidays- the first day crammed with sleep, food, and binge-watching on Netflix. I thought, is that it? Is that my timetable for the vacations ahead?
Monotonicity has never been the strong suit of us humans, we always want something new, something thrilling to pique our interests and pick our brains. And so, I penned down a list of things to do in this chasm between high school and college, which looked a lot like this.
1. Learn something new, challenge yourself!
I was 18, and was eligible for a driver’s license, and was exhausted of being dependent on a driver to get me out of my house. Especially when the ice cream cravings came at unfavorable hours! I decided: that was it. I have to learn how to drive and I enrolled at my nearest driving school and signed up for early morning classes. With my money tied up to this commitment, it ensured that my day began as early as it needed to be without lethargy getting the best of me, and the worst of my vacations.
Next on, I signed up for some cooking classes, to learn myriads of dishes that I didn’t know how to cook earlier. Cooking, I realized, is very important for incoming college freshmen. Especially, during emergencies such as money falling short or simply, craving your native food. At least, for me, cooking served as an outlet to vanish into the sweet, salty and smoky aroma of food itself. Synonymous to therapy, it gave me a peace of mind.
2. Read.
While this point may scare many of you people who cringe and complain at the sight of books, do not worry! When I say read, I mean read anything of your interest. You can read novels, magazines ( Cosmo or teen magazines, we won't judge!), pamphlets, newspapers, research papers, recipes, lyrics, and even billboards -- whatever floats your boat!
Reading is important because firstly, college is reading, reading and reading. If you survived high school without it, there's a slim chance, you're going to survive college similarly. So, when you read, you'll improve your reading speed or learn new lingoes or learn a lot of new things. Like a wise wise man once said, “A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
3. Travel.
"Only when you get lost is when you find yourself."
That dude above wasn't lying when he said that. After years of tolerating high school: the endless assignments, the unsurmountable piles of homework and tests, the infinitesimal nights of sleep lost, you sure can take a break! A stress-buster is to get away from the place itself! Go somewhere solitary, somewhere with breath-taking natural scenic beauty, somewhere you can completely dissolve your four years of anxiety and emerge a new soul. Also, it's important to remember that travel is not a measure of how many miles you travel, it's traveling to a place, be it your neighborhood park or a historic resort on the outskirts or even a strawberry-picking orchard, where you feel unanchored spiritually and emotionally.
4. Entertain yo' self!
Go for movies, buy the expensive popcorn or smuggle in your own food! Check out the new releases, no matter how bad their ratings are. Go with your friends or your family or even alone! What's the worse that could happen? If you hate horror, go for it! Surprise yourself a little and try while you can with the time on your hands. You'll realize that once you enter, endure and exit the movie you sat for alone, you'll be a new person with a unique understanding of self. I am not even exaggerating or kidding.
Binge-watch TV shows because I am pretty sure there are numerous of those lining up on your Netflix list. Also because there's no such thing as following too many TV shows. But, if you don't love the visual in the audio, just explore your musical interests. Listen to those albums and musicians you pride yourselves over and revisit your guilty pleasures or teenage obsessions (One Direction, perhaps?) I am pretty sure for some, there's nothing better than 'eargasms', amirite?
5. #Werkout.
Join a gym, jog around the house, jog around the park, walk to your internship or a friend's house, do some yoga, follow a few of those fitness YouTubers! Just get your butt movin'! Not only does exercise release endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine ( you don't have to know science to know these all are good hormones!) but also, it energizes you and gives you stamina that you'll sure as hell need in college. Also, you'll finally be able to fit into that adorable dress you liked at Forever 21 but was a tad bit too tight for your mom's taste?
6. Hang out with your stupid friends instead of your smartphones.
Before you part, cherish those memories you made with your good ol' buds. It won't be the last time you see each other, at least the whole #squad, hopefully, but before you all go your separate ways, it won't pain a bit too much to give each other the perfect farewell. Also, while you're bored in town, waiting for your college life to begin, what better than to share and then diffuse that boredom with those you love!? And Christ, for once, just leave that smartphone aside. It's smart, agreed. But, it is nothing like your homie back home, it's not sentient, it won't remember nor will it appreciate your memories. So instead of spending all your time on that six-inch block of pixels, spend some with real people in'real space and time. Social media is alright but once you hangout, you'll begin to realize some memories are best left undocumented on technology and documented only in mind and heart.
7. Nothing beats quality time with the fam.
"How can we not talk about family, when family's all we got?" Seems like Wiz Khalifa knew what he was talking about. So, before you get held in the college commotion, take some time to discuss your goals, your feelings, and your qualms of these past years and the years to come with the fam. If not talk, at least play. Play those old school board games, watch the cricket, soccer, hockey or basketball match together, the way you used to back in the day, cook together, or just have a get-together and invite all of your relatives from across the city or the continent! Bonds with family are unbreakable, and the love? Unconditional. So you might want to mend those, if a bit severed before skipping over to the new stepping stone in your life because in the end, in your most desolate and desperate times, it all comes back to your family.
8. R&P: research and planning.
So, finally you'll enter the new level in your Game of Life and needless to say, without planning, it's most likely to be haphazard. So, before you go, stock up on the items you need to buy for college in advance (those discounts are beautiful). Research about your school, the professors, their research, if you share any interest, any cool clubs, etc etc etc. There's so much I can go on and on and on and on again. So, take it slow but don't eliminate it completely. A senior once told me, the success to college is not hard work but rather, time management and planning. Preach? Preach.
9. Sleep.
Nothing screams happiness better than slumber. For the first few weeks, or the weeks in between, or the weeks towards the end, shut yourself in. Use that fluffy pillow, probably even your favorite soft toy ( Snuggles, the brown bear, anyone?), shut the blinds, turn on the AC and snuggle in your softest blanket since time born.
Well, you know what? Just skip all those idiotic points. Choose point nine over everything because, come on! Our MVP, the Dalai Llama, once said: "Sleep is the best meditation."
