To all high school seniors out there: it’s almost over. This stage of our life is ending, and another is beginning. It’s finally starting to sink in for me. At the start of this year I felt indifferent, like it was just another normal school year.
I was convinced that nothing was going to change. But then application deadlines rolled around, and then the game of waiting for acceptance letters, and then came the part that really made it all seem real: the choice of where to go to college.
I’ll admit it was stressful, and I’ll admit that literally listing the pros and cons of every school was tedious, and made me very anxious. But for me, it came like an idea. I didn’t just sit down, look at my options and make a decision. I just, sort of – knew.
To be honest, it came to me while scanning groceries at my part-time job at Hannaford Supermarket. I don’t know how I made the decision, I just did.
I am officially going to Castleton State College in the fall, majoring in communication and Spanish, and I couldn’t be more pleased with my decision. It was right for me educationally and financially.
My senior year has been, hands down, the best year of high school. I feel as though I have learned more in this one year than I have learned in all 11 other years combined. But more than just academically, I have learned so much about life and am so much more mature after this year.
There are so many distractions and a lot of excitement during senior year, and I have learned to ignore those distractions and stop procrastinating. I’ve learned that the people I’m surrounded by in high school are not who I’m going to be with for the rest of my life, which made it easier to focus on myself and my goals. I’ve learned how to handle myself in difficult social situations. I know I have learned from textbooks or standardized tests, but I’ve learned from experiencing things and making mistakes too. I’m ready for college and I am ready for my life to begin.
Twelve years I have been in school. And in twelve years it is all I have ever done. It’s what I’m used to and what I’m comfortable with. But there is so much more I want and I am finally ready to take it.
To all of the seniors at Castleton, I congratulate you on your achievements and wish you the best of luck. To the juniors at Castleton, well, you’re almost there. To the sophomores at Castleton, take advantage of the next two years and solidify what you want.
To the freshmen at Castleton, you’ve made it through your first year, just think, only three more to go. And to the people like me, who are just starting out, I say, let’s make these the best four years of our lives. Let’s make friendships that last forever, and learn as much as we can. College is something I know I’ll never forget, and I’m glad that I chose Castleton as the place to make those memories.