The phases of life are like chapters in a book. Each chapter is a new development and an opportunity for change. For high school seniors, the long four years of high school are drawing to an end. However, it seems like all other chapters are unfolding all at once and they are caught in the middle of it all. Too many decisions to make, too many emotions to process, it all seems so overwhelming.
Perhaps the most nerve-wracking experience is opening your decision letter. A whirlwind of feelings—nervousness, anxiety, anticipation—all bubble up to the surface as your mouse hovers over the icon that reads, “your decision is available.”
You finally decide to hit “view your decision.” Whether you were met with the glorious “congratulations” as confetti flies over your screen or with the palpable silence of “we regret to inform you…” one thing is certain, this pivotal moment will redirect the next four years of your life for better or for worse.
To those who got accepted into a school of their choice, congratulations! You have worked immensely hard and there is no doubt that you will continue to inspire and strive forward in college.
To those who got rejected or perhaps waitlisted, you might be feeling a lot of emotions right now. Maybe hopelessness, despair or even anger. Whatever you are feeling, let it all out. Feel all of those emotions. By the time summer arrives, most of your feelings will have dissipated. When you start college, another bit of that hopelessness goes away.
After your first semester of college, you would have made more friends, built relationships with your professors and thoroughly enjoyed yourself and by then, nearly all of that emotional baggage would be gone.
I wish you the very best in ending up at college that fits you. At the end of the day, it is what you do in college, rather than the college you end up at. All of your wit, passion, drive comes from within. You will inevitably grow as a person, take on new opportunities and leave an impact on the world.
Now perhaps the greatest point of struggle and anxiety—adulthood.
Most of you are already eighteen or are turning eighteen and while you deal with the emotional rollercoaster of college decisions, you also have to grapple with the reality of being an adult.
As soon as you turn 18, you’re expected to have your whole life figured out or at least a solid idea of how it is going to play out. It seems you have to do everything, everywhere all at once. You are expected to know what school to go to, what to major in, have a car, a job, close relationships but also have fun and be on top of all your work. You’re expected to have a direction before you even step foot in college.
It’s like trying to balance a stack of books on your head and with every other book that falls you grow ever more panicked, anxious and stressed, causing all the other books to come crashing down.
“Knowing that I’m turning 18 this year scares me a bit. I’m trying to enjoy my last year of highschool but knowing that a lot of changes will happen overwhelms me,” Chloe Wu, a senior said. “I’m unsure but I’m also hopeful.”
What Chloe said reflects how most seniors feel. However, it is completely okay to not have everything figured out. It is okay for you to be directionless, to struggle, to not know your next step. I believe that you never have everything figured out. No matter how far you are along, you are continuously learning, growing and figuring things out one at a time, one day at a time.
I believe in the phrase “lotus in the mud.” It is used to describe the idea that you must go through the mud to achieve beauty. In life struggle will be inevitable, you will stumble in the dark. But if you can make it through, you will come out far finer than before.
Finally, you should enjoy your time. There are still two months left until graduation—two more months of school, memories with friends, connections with your teachers and time to leave your mark on high school. Cherish these memories and carry them with you to the next chapter.
