Class of 2019, Are You Happy or Sad?

With Graduation coming right around the corner on June 5th, seniors are both anticipating and dreading the event. Many seniors may still be in denial about finishing up such a crucial chapter of their life, but it is time to finally face our fears and doubts. Disregarding the current heaviness of reality that comes with end-of-the-year exams and projects, our overall perspective on graduation can be categorized into two prominent emotions; happiness and sadness. The dualism of these emotions can help address the self-denial that seniors are holding onto like a little bubble within themselves, and are not planning to pop until the actual day of the ceremony. Facing these emotions head-on can help with the accepting the facts and influences that graduating high school has on us.

Does the good news or bad news come first? There is no official rule of which order these two go, but addressing the negative and then washing it away with the positive seems more appealing. Focusing on the sad parts of graduating, there are many aspects that a senior may consider when dreading the end of high school. A major example of these aspects can be the obvious fact that we are leaving a campus where so many memories and relationships with other people in the community were created. Knowing that graduating results with nostalgia and missing people and the environment is not something one can have a positive outlook on. With all the ups and downs that come with high school, at the end, these experiences hold great significance to students. Leaving a place that you may have called a second home is not as easy as it seems, and graduating is the prime example of this.

Along with missing Redwood and its community, another negative aspect a senior may be biting their nails over comes down to adulting. Finishing the last part of what we can truly consider our adolescence means that we are entering the adult world, which can be scary for a vast majority of those who are graduating at the brink or reaching the age of merely 18 years old. The dependency a student has on their family and friends begins to be slowly ripped away once graduation comes, especially if the student is moving for college or any other post-high school plans. This leads to distance being another sad result of graduating. Moving away from the comfort of home to start the next chapter of your life in a new environment comes with major feelings of anxiety and fear. These consequences or after-effects of graduating high school, although evidently scary at first, is all apart of gaining independence and is the path to self-sufficiency.

This then leads to discussing the positive aspects of finally being done with high school. The end of school always means that summer is starting, which also means that it’s time for a well-deserved vacation. Just because you’re a high school graduate does not mean you can’t be happy and excited to enjoy the summer! Vacations are meant to be stress-free with no thoughts about homework or assignments that are due. Focusing on relaxing both your body and mind will help stabilize your mental and emotional state that may or may not have gotten messy because of school. Having an optimistic mindset will also help with the preparations that come with endings and new beginnings.

Who said the endings to things always has to be sad? Graduating not only indicates the start of freedom, it is also a sign that new beginnings are close now too. As kids, we grow up always talking about what we want to become in the future and what colleges or jobs we want as adults, and being done with high school finally allows us to achieve these dreams. We can’t stay stuck in our youth and innocence forever. Adult life is when we can begin flourishing to what we were always meant to become. Independence is also key to a life where you can attain personal success without help from others, which is why the process of adulting is significant in the cycle of life. Looking at graduation as a door to new opportunities and a chance to be who you truly are is the best way to leave high school.

At the end, graduating is an act that one goes through after high school that comes with countless emotions and feelings. Happiness and sadness are not the only ways to view this major stepping stone of life. Though they are the two most prominent and simplest emotions that are inevitable, there are many other in-betweens that might be what you may perceive graduating as. As long as you know how much you deserve this moment in finally receiving recognition after dedicating your fullest efforts to this school for four years, the emotions that surface are not of significance; it is you who is of significance.