To The 2019 High School Graduates
You've graduated high school. What's next?
There is so much more in store for you.
Whether you're sad to end the best 4 years of your life or have been ready since middle school to enter the real world, there are things to remember.
Your life has not ended. You won't lose your friends of 18 years when you go off to college. You can make this last summer the best yet (because trust me, you'll never have a free summer again). You CAN be upset about ending a chapter of your life. It's okay to miss the walls you've walked through for so long as you move on to new walls, a college campus.
DON'T define your future with the last four years. You can remake yourself. You can be that person who never found their place in high school but excelled in every way in college. Who's to say what the face of the future looks like? Your parents? Your teachers? They don't decide how you plan to take on the rest of your life. Only you have the power to either continue your success, or change it's path for the better.
Do not dismiss the memories, the friends, the education that has made you who you are today. You may have hated high school, despised the people you spent every day with, or always believed this time of your life wasn't what you amounted to. But all in all, every single person you have met has affected the way you've lived. Every one and everything makes a difference in your world. Be thankful for them, whether or not they've been a positive light in your life. They may have been the reason you don't act certain ways or do certain things, and that's a lesson to be grateful for.
Take your education SERIOUSLY. Once you enter college, there are no late turn-ins, minimal second chances, and one shot to do it right the first time. Learning is a privilege. Remember, not everyone is able to attend a Big-Ten School, play a sport in college, or even attend community college. For many people, there is much riding on their education. So, if you have the chance, take it. Be the smartest you've ever been. Get involved in your school's activities and clubs. Get as much as you can out of this experience.
And lastly, take time to enjoy everything you do. Life goes by too fast. Take a mental picture when you're in a moment you know you will miss one day. Laughing with your friends in the dorms. Eating microwave noodles and pop tarts for dinner. Going out with the new friends you've made. Every tailgate you've been to, not including the ones you can't remember (we've all been there). Moments that may seem meaningless at the time are the ones you will think about when you're out of college and pushed into an environment of a 9-5 work day, bills ALWAYS, and vacation days in single digits.
Just breathe, enjoy your life, and look forward to your future.
What's up next for you? You decide.
