EDITORIAL

Advice to graduate with

Posted

High school graduations are here. Bishop Hendricken’s students will go first this Wednesday, June 7. Rocky Hill comes next – 34 of that school’s students will graduate June 7. At Pilgrim, 299 seniors will graduate on June 13. Lastly, 288 at Toll Gate will graduate the day after on June 14.

Some of these students will be heading off to college, others to work, and others are still undecided. Many undoubtedly have big plans for their future, but a decent portion of new grads will have no clue as to what they want to do.

Some may be confident in everything they do, but it’s possible for any young students to develop feelings of inadequacy and for self-deprecating comparisons to their peers to emerge. Adjusting to college and living as an independent adult can be difficult enough for any 18-year-old who’s on their own for the first time, let alone doing so while feeling as if everyone else is already more successful at it than they are.

These fears can hit at any time – they can hit two weeks before or a month into a student’s first semester. However, the important thing for all students to remember is that it’s going to be fine. So here’s some advice for the Class of 2017:

- Your college experience is your own. You don’t have to live the stereotypical all-nighter, fast-paced, crazy lifestyle of a college student. It’s OK if you’d rather stay in on a Saturday night when your roommates decide to go out.

- That said, do make an effort to explore your campus or new city. There is life outside the dorm room.

- If you don’t like your major, change it. Don’t spend four years wasting time, energy, and money on something you don’t want to do.

- Same goes for your school. If you don’t feel like you made the right choice, look into transferring.

- Find mentors that can coach you on whatever school/career/life decisions you may need to make. It’s always helpful to know you can turn to someone who has been in your shoes.

- Know that everyone else around you has at some point been in the same place you are right now. Everybody starts somewhere, and nobody is expected to be the best at what they want to do on the very first day they try it.

- If you don’t know what you’re doing yet, that’s okay. Passions can never be rushed.

Good luck, and congratulations.

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