As you may have noticed, many young high school graduates have either started their college classes this week, or if not, are getting geared up to start their first semester in college. And whether students are leaving for another country, state, city, or even if they are staying put, one thing is true for almost all of these graduates—August is a month for goodbyes.
As you may have noticed, many young high school graduates have either started their college classes this week, or if not, are getting geared up to start their first semester in college. And whether students are leaving for another country, state, city, or even if they are staying put, one thing is true for almost all of these graduates—August is a month for goodbyes.
Many college bound students have to pack up lives and memories and say goodbye to their friends and family. And for those who do not leave, many of them are saying goodbye to friends they made throughout their years of high school and middle school. For many people, this is new territory and it is a new experience to leave home or to have their friends leave.
It is a stressful and exciting time for many who have worked for four years in high school and are ready to begin the next chapter in their lives. But it is important to be aware that this is also a point in people’s lives that is very difficult and emotionally draining.
It is also a time for teens to say goodbye to a lot of other things as well. On top of saying goodbye to their loved ones, teens are saying goodbye to the old high school, way of life, and in many ways their childhood. Many students have turned 18 or will be soon, and are having to make huge life decisions (as if deciding which colleges to apply to wasn’t stressful enough already).
Many schools make you decide on a major before the semester begins and while there is usually an option to switch majors later, it is often frowned upon and some majors cannot be transferred. All of these decisions are huge life decisions that can have long-term effects and they are often very difficult to make.
For students beginning their senior year of high school, my advice is to soak up every last moment with your friends and family and try to enjoy every bit of your senior year that you can. Treasure the time you have left before college and truly make it count.
I usually have a strong argument or purpose in my columns, but for this column I only want to say this to the teens taking their first steps into their new lives. It is okay to be scared and sad. It is extremely difficult to say goodbye and I myself have had my fair share of tear-filled farewells over the past few weeks, and it is important to know that it is okay to feel sad and to feel lonely. You are not the only one feeling this way. It is hard to say goodbye.
