Hello class of 2018! You’re finally here! Some of you may be dead set on coming to Clark, and some of you may still be trying to work things out, but regardless, you’re all in the same situation; the final stretch of high school.
I have absolutely no doubt that this is the time you’ve been dreaming of since you walked through the doors of your high school. Now, you’re in the last stages of one chapter of your life while simultaneously transitioning towards a new one. Honestly, it’s a weird place to be.
So you’ve been accepted to college. Great! Congratulations! But now what? If any of you are at all like me, the college application process was an enormous part of your life for the last two years. College visits, standardized tests, extracurriculars, applications, and such. And now it’s all over and done with. When I was in your shoes, I felt really, really weird, and like I had basically no purpose at all until August, when I walked on to Clark’s campus.
That’s partially true. Enjoy your freedom. Enjoy the last two months of high school doing all the fun things seniors get to do. They’re phenomenal. Take some time to breathe and give yourself a break; you’ve worked so, so hard for the last four years.
That being said, I recommend against going absolutely crazy. You aren’t home free quite yet.
Personally, I think the time between receiving college acceptance letters and your first day of college is a really important period of time. This is an opportune time to develop a little bit of selfishness. I’ve talked a little bit about selfishness before, and I definitely don’t mean it in a “never caring about anyone else and becoming a heartless lone wolf” kind of way. Think about selfishness in more of a “putting yourself first and figuring some stuff out for yourself” kind of way. Now that you have a little bit more freedom and flexibility in your life, this time is really, really excellent for doing things you’ve always wanted to do, trying new things, and solidifying your interests. Do you have to do any of these things? Absolutely not. But I highly recommend it. It’s nice to learn a few new things about yourself every once in a while.
More than anything else, though, I think it’s most important to take this time to be kind to yourself. You’ve come a really long way, and it wasn’t always easy, but it’s all smooth sailing from here.
Once again, congratulations to all of you entering the Class of 2018. I hope to see all of your lovely, smiling faces in the fall!