UNITED STATES-The month of May might be over, but for many high school students and college students something far more frightening beholds them: graduation. Comparing high school and college graduation is not easy. While some may want to define the two as being equally similar I beg to differ. It kind of depends on the perception of the person that you ask.
For starters, I barely remember my high school graduation I was the valedictorian. Could it be because I was so over high school? In some aspects yes, but I think it was more of the idea that I was maturing as an adult, heck I had already done so most of my high school life. Mommy and daddy weren’t forking over countless funds to keep me ‘happy’ as so many people expect.
High school is so deemed the best times of our lives and I never understand quite why people say that? Is it because you’re underage, is it because responsibility is not yet on the horizon, is it because you can do stupid things and get away with it? Likely all of the above.
High school graduation was small, quick and nothing, but a mere blip in my horizon. Yep, I had close friends, but not as close as I expected because we literally drifted apart when I headed to college. It happens, the friends of high school are no more, and the people of college take on a new horizon. Life brings so many curveballs to you its difficult to explain.
For those graduating from high school there are two options: go into the work force or achieve higher education, and unfortunately for some, do nothing. Guess it depends on your motivation in life, what you actually aim for. I aimed for higher education, but note I was already employed so for me work was nothing ‘new’ for me, as it tends to be for most college graduates.
Now college, that was the best time of my life and I mean it. The independence, the late nights, the parties, the freedom, it was everything that one could expect. Yeah, I attended a massive university with thousands of students and the first day was terrifying, but that’s it. Day 1 was scary; the rest was a journey of growth, opportunity and life.
That’s the thing about graduation, we have to sit back and reflect on all that we’ve done, the good, the bad and the ugly. In high school, you might question if you did more to make yourself relevant to your classmates. In college, you might question if there were things you did or did not do that you wish you could have a do over? That’s the thing about life, there is no rewind button, I think everything happens for a reason and there’s a reason we can’t jump into the past and make adjustments: it affects our future.
Perhaps what happened was meant to happen, even if one doesn’t grasp the concept right away. I remember college graduation so much more vividly because I fought so hard to achieve my degree. Sacrifices were made that I never thought were possible, and all I can remember was the final days leading up to the big event.
The crowds of people, family cheering me on and the notoriety I received when I walked across that stage to collect my degree, with cap and gown in hand was like a moment I wanted to freeze in time. The entire time I was secretly thinking, just make sure you don’t make a tumble across the stage.
The biggest concern for most graduates rather it is high school or college is not regret, its fear. Fear of the unknown and what will transpire next, but guess what that is life! No matter what transpires one is not able to predict what will happen after the glory days of school are long behind them. A job might be waiting for you; a job might not be waiting for you.
When you graduate, it’s like a new path is being formed for you. It’s a do over in some respects; you get to decide the outcome that next happens for you. You are in control, so embrace it, enjoy it, and revel in it, because at the end of the day you only get one high school graduation and one college graduation so make the best of it.
