Today is the last 8th Friday of high school I will ever experience. It doesn’t start to feel real. I don’t think transitioning will ever feel real. There’s a ticking time bomb over every interaction and new friendship. Seeing my friends every day and thinking whether anything we do will be the last. What if this is the last time my friends and I sit outside for lunch? What if I’m not soaking in every moment like I know I should be? Should I be taking mental pictures in my head, so I know how to describe this place? Should I be able to remember my schedule from freshman year?
Transitioning is hard. Going from elementary to middle school was one of the biggest changes I’ve had yet. I never had to experience transitioning from middle to high school, I simply had to move a hallway down. Going to a school that’s 6th-12th has somewhat sheltered my peers and I. Regardless of whether Coral Springs Charter students are prepared, moving to college is difficult for everyone.
Everyday my inner monologue is at war. I’m currently at a point where I have the opposite of senioritis. I feel like I need to be at school every day and in the moment so I can soak it all in. This triggers the question; who do I want to be in college?
Being in a contained environment for 7 years with peers suffering with a small-town mentality is draining. If you ever do anything big, you’ll be remembered for it. Students commonly follow the desire to be someone new after high school. Reinventing yourself for college is unnecessary, yet a common conclusion many seniors dwell upon. There is an undeniable pressure of being an entirely different person once you’re in college. You need to be able to laugh it off when a college peer says, ‘I would have NEVER talked to you in high school’, even if high school was months ago.
It’s a good thing to notice flaws within yourself and seek change. There’s a difference between reinventing yourself and forcing yourself to be something you’re not, yet there can be healthy goals as well.
Senior Jayda Lozano shared, “I want to change the group of people that I hang out with and be with more like-minded people. Maybe change my style, see what’s different out there. A little haircut or something.”
“Not be much of a people pleaser,” Adinna Merchant expressed.
“I’ll just be myself; I will be the same way I have been. I will find mutuals who are like me. I don’t have the need for people please.” Camila Ruiz states.
Yet some students had the opposite reaction.
Scholar Eli Groothius admitted to wanting a big change.“Blocking everyone at Charters number, I am going MIA. Only people who are going to see me are my dad, my step sister and mom- not even Zoe (Eli’s twin sister).”
Most seniors want to change how they are perceived, such as Elliott Schoenthaler.
“I feel like I want people to know I’m smart. I feel like at Charter people think I’m dumb so I want people to know I’ve got brains along with all this beauty.”
Change isn’t something to be afraid of, if anything, it can be something to look forward to. It’s importance to practice adaptability through transition. After highschool is the biggest step towards a new character development in oneself. Learning to prioritize and allocate time effectively for work, personal life, and self-care is essential. Any graduate must anticipate the need to adapt to a new work environment, responsibilities and expectations, as it is crucial for career success and advancement. Whether you want to chop off all your hair and become the life of the party, go incognito, or be who you are, you are free after highschool. Be who you want, as long as it is for yourself.