THE TRUTH ABOUT LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL

Let me tell you what this article is not: it's not another one of those cheesy articles where I gush to you about how high school was so amazing and my senior year I came into my true self and how much I miss that place and blah blah blah. None of that. The truth is, I don't miss high school. Not at all. And I'm going to tell you why. I went to a great high school. Amazing teachers, great programs, successful students. I hold nothing against it. However, I'm not going to sit here and glorify it as the best four years of your life. It's not. Wasn't for me, and I definitely hope it's not for you. Because the truth is, nobody knows what they're doing or what life beyond those halls is going to look like. High school can be dramatic. People love to talk about others, concern themselves with what the person next to them got on the test, judge each others' clothes, and put their nose where it shouldn't be. The best thing about leaving high school is leaving all of that behind. And once you're out, you're done dealing with it. Where I'm at in life right now, nobody cares about your business. In college, everyone is so wrapped up in their own work and problems that nobody is paying attention to yours. It's great, because this is what allows you to focus on yourself. If I had to tell seniors in high school one thing, it would be this: it's almost over, and that is perfectly okay. I'm sure you loved being the captain of their team, taking electives all day, and having a handful of "lasts" to cry to about as they fly by. The truth is my senior year was long and dull. All I wanted to do was move on. And that's not to say that I didn't appreciate the things that I was doing and all the "lasts" I experienced, but I'm not the type to dwell. There is so much more on the other side of graduation, and nobody really tells you that until you experience it yourself. At this point in the year, all you're focusing on is the end of a lot of things when it's hard to think about all the firsts you're about to have. Once you go to college, the one thing you will never get back is the feeling of home being your one and only place where you belong. As much as I'd love to say nothing feels different as soon as you're back in your hometown, it does. All of a sudden you're sort of an outsider, and your bed feels odd the first night you're back over break, and your parents have shifted things around in the bathroom. You may even forget the garage code. Although it's a different feeling, it's not bad. You feel more independent knowing that you don't permanently live under your parents' roof anymore. Speaking of parents, hug them. Spend time with them, be kind to them, and smile at them. Because this is the one thing you will truly miss. My parents (shoutout if you're reading this, love you both) and I FaceTime a lot more than I ever thought we would when I thought about leaving for school. If you're anything like me, you tell your parents everything. I used to run through my day hour by hour with them when I was in high school. Now I have to condense it to the week's highlights when I call them on Sundays. If I could pick up our house and drop it down the street from my dorm, I would in a heartbeat. Being physically apart is very odd at first, and once you're used to it, you don't get as sad every time you hang up the phone. But it never gets easier saying goodbye after a week or two at home and you're coming back to school. So while you have the chance to see them smile every single day, embrace it. High school was good to me. I have a lot of great memories from football games, musicals, shutting down Culver's on weeknights, and having my parents through it all. But don't dwell on high school as if something is being taken away. Because you're about to jump into a whole new world of people, exciting opportunities, and independence. That's the truth about leaving high school. xo Kate