This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Clemson chapter.
Dear Seniors,
I get it. I get the stress, applications, confusion, excitement, craziness, and
exhaustion of senior year. I was in your spot last year listening to everyone tell me
that I’d get through it. I listened to people tell me how I’d love college and I’d end up
where I’m meant to be. I was hesitant to believe them. In my mind, I wanted to live in
the moment and not to rush things. I loved being a senior, and I felt like I finally had
my group of friends that meant so much to me. Why would I want to leave a place
that had everything I needed? But more importantly, would I ever find a place that I
could call home?
It terrified me. The long lists of colleges and universities were overwhelming. I
didn’t know how to narrow it down, and I felt lost. Don’t get me wrong; I knew
college was the option for me. I was excited underneath all the anxiety. But, the
anxiety still reappeared every chance it could. The fall of senior year is a whirlwind
of college tours, applications, and essays. You feel like your head will explode if you
have to list your extracurricular activities one more time for potential colleges to see.
Campuses seem to blend together. But trust me when I say that it is all worth it.
I just came home for fall break, and I could see how you, my senior babies, were
enjoying your last high school year and simultaneously stressing about college. I
could see the eagerness to get to college already and the frustration at having to
apply. You could list off due dates to applications without even thinking. I
understand it all. So let me share some advice…
Make sure you breathe. In all this craziness, slow down and take in it all. You’re
only a high school senior once. Please, please, please enjoy it. Next year, you’ll be on
your own, so try to live in the moment for the time being. Go to everything! You’ll
going to miss the student section at football games, the cafeteria chatter at lunch,
and your carpool to practice afterschool everyday. It doesn’t seem like much now,
but you’ll be exponentially glad you lived out your senior year. Remember that high
school memories are made outside the classroom.
Appreciate people. Friends, siblings, teachers, parents, coaches. These are the
people whose shoulders you’ll be crying into come August before move-in day. They
are the ones who have impacted and shaped you the past 18 years. Whether you
realize it or not, they are part of you. High school friends are there for the crazy
adventures, late-night texts, and pep rallies. Your best friends are high school. High
school isn’t a building as cliché as that sounds. It’s the time in your life when you
begin to see where you fit in the world. And the people you choose to surround
yourself with are the ones who help you figure it all out.
Picture yourself on the different campuses. Each time you tour a college; really
look to see if you could imagine yourself calling it home. I suggest going on self
guided tours after the main one. Ask random students questions about campus and
college life. Explore the areas of the campus they don’t show you. I wrote down
everything that I liked and didn’t like about each campus. But no matter how many
sources you consult or strategies you try, you will know where you belong. I knew
because my mind always went back to Clemson. I always compared each campus to
Clemson’s. I knew financially it would work out, but I also knew that it was the best
fit for me. The atmosphere, the people, and the school spirit drew me in. Your list of
criteria will be different then your friends and classmates, but there is seriously a
college for every person if he or she so chooses.
Do your best on applications, but don’t stress about them. Some college
admissions’ processes are intense; others aren’t. You’ll apply, you’ll wait, and you’ll
get the decision. It is not the end of the world if you don’t get into a school. I got
rejected from 2 of the 5 schools applied. I know classmates who found other schools
to be excited about after their first choice schools fell through. I also know students
who got accepted off the wait list. It happens. You’ll love where you end up. And by
the off chance you don’t like it, transferring is always an option. But, college is really
about yourself, so you’ll make your own college experience no matter where you
end up.
Begin to recognize yourself as your own person. Other people’s choices and
decisions are not yours. You get to live your own life. You have the chance to make
mistakes and learn from them. You are in charge. It may not seem like it entirely in
high school because you are still under your parents’ roof and you still need to
follow their rules. However, since starting college, I’ve realized that I get to go on my
own adventures. I get to build my life, and I get to choose how I spend my limited
time on the Earth. It’s exciting because I have control over my actions. I have control
on how to present myself to the world. No one else’s opinion really matters, and that
is extremely freeing.
College was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I understand college may not
be for everyone. I don’t have my life figured out (not even close), but college is my
opportunity to figure it out. I’ve been in college for 2 months now, and I have
learned more about myself in these 8 weeks then in my last 8 years of life. In college,
you learn how to take care of yourself, but you also realize how strong you are. It
puts you in unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable situations. It’s foreign and
strange. You go through homesickness, anxiety, and stress. But, you get through it.
And you realize how amazing you are. You meet so many people with so many ideas
that you feel more connected and involved in life. You realize how messed up but
united the world is. You realize that you have things to contribute to this crazy
world, and you become excited to take part in it. It’s difficult to describe this feeling
college gives you because it’s hard to put it into words. Just know, that college will
push you academically and personally in your growth. That’s why you go.
I don’t have all the answers, and I know you’re not necessarily searching for them.
I just hope to give you a little insight as you prepare to leave high school. It’s a
challenging time in the best possible way, but it’s necessary for you as a person. This
confusion and stress will only make you appreciate your next four years even more.
Take care and know that people will help you if you ask. You don’t know everything,
but you do know how to get through the ups and downs of senior year. You just
need to take each day at a time and realize that life is just getting started. So enjoy
every minute!
So Much Love,
College Girls Who Promise it Gets Easier