Posts Tagged ‘high school graduation’

5 Things High School Grads Can Look Forward to about College

June 19th, 2012 by kristen
Categories: Before Leaving for College, College Life

As a high school graduate preparing for college in August, whether you know it yet or not, your life is about to change! There’s a big difference between life as a high school senior and life as a college freshman. Even those who loved high school and are reluctant to leave can enjoy college even more! Here are five things you can look forward to about your college education this Fall!

Freedom

In high school, you had a very set schedule, and not much control over it. Your school day began and ended at a particular time. Your parents might have made tacos for dinner every Tuesday for as long as you can remember. You’ve probably spent weekends being dragged to department stores and family parties instead of being able to do what you wanted.

In college, for the most part, you can choose when you want to take classes. You decide when and where you want to study. It’s up to you to determine when and what you want to eat for every meal. You’re in control, and at 17 or 18 years old, you’re ready for it!

The Chance to Be a Rock Star

Between middle school and high school, you’ve had to take science, math, English, social studies, home economics, gym, technology, music, and art. Some of those things you were great at, while others you struggled with. Some subjects bored you to tears. In college, most of the classes you take will be what you’re good at and what interests you, making you feel like a rock star!

New Friends

In college, you’ll meet new people unlike the people you’ve known your whole life. There will be people from other parts of the country and other parts of the world, all with different beliefs, expressions, values, experiences, and ways of having fun! In addition to all of your high school pals, you’ll have a whole different group of people to hang out with.

New Opportunities

Because college is a place where people from all over gather to learn, you’ll find college has a lot more opportunities than high school to learn and try new things. Your college might offer snow shoeing, ice skating, and Irish dancing as physical education courses. Your dining hall may serve meals from other countries, as well as gluten-free and vegan options. There will be clubs on campus that support a variety of different political parties. In college, you’ll have the chance to try so many things you’ve never had the opportunity to try before.

A Fresh Start

As a college freshman, you may be the last to pick your classes and you may be too young to live off campus, but you also have the most time ahead of you to seize opportunities and make your mark. You have a clean slate in which you can do and become anything. You have your whole college career ahead of you. Your road is only beginning!

 

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4 Summer Mindsets for the High School Graduating Class of 2012

June 12th, 2012 by kristen
Categories: Before Leaving for College, High School Tips

Transitions can bring mixed feelings. Your first day of high school, you probably were excited for possibilities, but fearful of the unknown, and curious as to whether or not Freshmen Friday is a real thing. Graduating high school is another major transition that can leave you feeling all sorts of emotions. You may see some of your friends racing out the door on the last day of school, never looking back, while others cry as they hug their  friends and teachers goodbye. Graduating high school is a major step in your life, and there’s a lot to think about! Check out these summer mindsets to help you transition into the next stage of your life!

I Did It!

Congratulations! You’re done! You did it! You’ve completed countless tests and quizzes. You’ve read thousands of pages, and listened to years of lectures. You pushed through that hard math class. You were seen in a bathing suit in gym. You sat next to the kid with hygiene problems in every grade because alphabetically, his name comes right after yours. You began this thirteen year quest at four or five years old, and now you’re done. Celebrate that! Feel good about that! Not everyone graduates high school.

It’s Over.

High school is weird in that you’re with the same people for years, not by choice. It can be difficult to make changes to who you are, and change the way people see you, when everyone already knows you and has an opinion on you. Now that you’ve graduated high school, you can leave whatever you want behind. You don’t have to see the people who made fun of you, or that annoying lunch table, ever again. You can drop any label you’ve had. You can abandon the embarrassing moments and the mistakes. You are about to enter a new stage if your life.

Who am I?

After graduation, you might be starting college, or you might be starting work. Regardless of what you do in this next stage of your life, nobody will know who you are. Your future classmates and professors won’t see you as funny, smart, friendly, outgoing, laid back, passionate, or philosophical. They won’t see you as the popular kid, the geek, the hockey player, the singer, the valedictorian, the cheerleader, or the gamer. You are a blank slate to every person you meet, and it’s up to you to paint them a picture.

Who do I want to be?

Many people believe that it’s during a transition that you’ll have the most success making a change. If you want to be a non-smoker, start college as a non-smoker.  If you want to be a vegan but your high school friends thought the idea ridiculous, now’s your chance to try it. If you didn’t feel like you could be yourself in high school, here’s your opportunity to start this new stage of your life in your own skin. This transition out of high school will give you a new lifestyle, a new schedule, new patterns, new friends, and new ideas. It’s easier to add new changes to new patterns, than new changes within the old ways.

 

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When Your High School Posse Parts Ways

April 25th, 2012 by admin
Categories: Before Leaving for College, High School Tips

You may have only gotten to know them this past year when you all started working at the local fast food joint, or perhaps you’ve all known each other since birth. They come in all different shapes and sizes, and they come with lists of inside jokes and rich histories: The story on how you first met, the worst fights, the funniest moments, and the best nights. Whether you’re a group of close girls like Desperate Housewives, a couple of fun buddies like Entourage, or a whole group of guys and girls with the same interest like Glee,  you’ve come to realize you don’t all have the same plans after graduation. You may be going to different colleges. Some may go to college while others join the armed forces. Some may choose not to attend college at all. Others might be a little younger than the rest and still have the rest of high school to finish.After seeing one another on a daily basis, possibly for the last fifteen years, the thought of parting ways to continue your journeys individually can be a bit rough to deal with.

The following is a list of ways you can ensure that your friendships continue to last throughout your transition into a high school graduate.

Respect Values

If you’ve spent all of high school imaging what it would be like to dorm with your best friend at college, only to discover your best friend wants to go to a different college, or not go to college at all, you may be feeling a bit disappointed, a little scared, and perhaps even angry. Do your best to respect the values of your friends. While your plan might be the best thing for you and your future at this time, it may not be the best thing for your friends. Respect their decisions.

Expect Some Change

The relationships you have with other individuals are changing every minute, whether you realize it or not. With every disagreement, every social event, and every meaningful conversation, your friendships become a little bit different. Your friendships will continue to change after you’ve graduated high school, possibly in bigger ways than you’re used to. For example, you and your friends will make additional friends. Your friends may not mention tiny pieces of information on their weekly phone calls that they would have mentioned when they saw you on a daily basis. Most of these changes will be harmless, but will take some getting used to. If you understand your friendships are likely to change a little bit, you’re more likely to be okay with the changes as you realize them.

Design A Ritual

Define a day, an event, or a ritual that binds you together, whether that be celebrating a made-up holiday, going to the carnival together every summer, sending newsletters to one another, or getting together at a local restaurant every college break. Find something you’ll all continue to do on a regular basis that will enforce the closeness of your friendships.

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