What They Don't Tell You...

What they don't tell you... is that once it’s all over nothing really changes.

Life continues. You just have to do less bullshit assignments, and don’t have due dates to have things done every day and night.

They don't tell you that it doesn't really feel like it's over. That it just seems like the end to every other semester. It doesn't really hit you that you're actually done. Even after you walk the stage, and your parent clap, and yell excitedly when your name is called. It just feels the same. Summer feels like every other summer—I guess that's until August hits when you normally would go back to school, but you don't.

They don’t tell you about everything you’d go through in the four years that it took you to get to the point where you are at. They don’t tell you how much you will change. How much you’ll be challenged. How much you’ll learn and experience. About yourself. About the world. About life.

The good. The bad. The unexpected. The eye opening. The unprecedented.

They don't tell you that college isn't just about an education; it's about finding yourself. Learning about yourself. And figuring out who you want to be, not who everyone else wants you to be.

It's about for the first time in your life truly having your own space, and your own life without your parents breathing down your throat. And you are in control of the experience you want to have. Regardless of how you choose to live it, it will change you, whether you want it to or not.

They don't tell you that this is about you, not anyone else. Only you. This is your time.

They don't tell you that it's not about figuring everything out; that you don't have to be a perfect adult by the end of it. That you don't have to have it all together. That it's okay to not know what you want to do with you life.

They don't tell you that it's okay to leave college a very different person than the way you entered.

People always tell you how when you graduate you'll be a different person, but sometimes that doesn't just mean maturing and growing into their image of who they think you should be. Sometimes that means transforming into the person they never knew you were in the best way possible. They don't tell you that the person you leave college as might indeed be someone you never thought you would become.

That even when you graduate they will still see you as their little son/daughter, even though, at the same time, they want you to grow up. They want you to adult, but still treat you like you need protection as if they could protect you. Like you're a fragile and unblemished kid that needs them to keep you holy. They are torn between their disillusionment of who they think you are, and who you truly are.

They don’t tell you that so much will change. That everything you thought, and who you thought you were or would be, would be questioned and changed in the process of it all. That for once in your life, you will be able to make your own choices, and will have to deal with the effects and consequences of those choices.

They don't tell you that regardless of how you were raised that these four years of your life will be the most vital in your growth and identity as a person in your existence thus far.

They don’t tell you that when it's over you may be faced with things that you never would have imagined. That just because you graduated doesn't mean life stops for you to celebrate. That these four years of your life will seem like a blink of an eye, and an eternity all in one, because so much will have happened. You will experience so many things for the first time. You will be faced with challenges you've never had to deal with before. You'll go through things that will make you weak to your knees, and stronger in the long run. You'll go through things that will force you to grow up. And that you'll be more confident in yourself and proud because of them.

They don't tell you that no one has the same experience in college, because everyone does it very differently, that we all grow in different ways. It's all about how you choose to do it. They don't tell you that it will teach you so many lessons that your parents couldn't teach you, while leaving you with memories to last a lifetime.

They don't tell you that once you graduate that is one of the last times that parents have to be involved in your life, whether you want them or not. And that seeing you walk is a bittersweet feeling. It's a moment full of pride and fear. Because after that, it's up to you whether you want to keep them involved in your life or not.

They don't tell you that even after you graduate they will still try to parent you, and treat you like you haven't been out on your own. They will want you to get an adult, normal, and stable job, because anything unstable they believe is essentially bound to fail. And they just want the best for you, but are scared of any opportunity that requires faith, rather than safety.

They don't tell you that this is the time that you should take those opportunities. Because you're at your prime. You're a recent graduate. Eager to make a difference. Fresh out of college, excited for something new. Something different. This doesn't mean be stupid, but if there's an opportunity that presents itself, chances are it happened for a reason. And you can't let those pass you by.

Because even if they don't work out, the experience, and networking you can gain is worth it. It's better to live a life taking chances than wishing that you did.

They don't tell you that it's okay not to do what everyone else does. That it's okay not to follow a "normal" path. That it's okay not to do what your parents want you to do, or think is right. That it's okay to do what you think needs to be done. They don't tell you that it's okay to take risks, take chances.

Because ultimately, you know yourself and your life best, and at the end of the day you only have yourself. Make your choices in accordance. No matter how much they want to believe they are, or have been in your life, we both know the truth: They know nothing...

What they don't tell you is that once college ends, it isn't really a big deal. Because it feels like you've been living your life all along. All school has done is offer some stability in your schedule, and a rationale for your parents to justify you not knowing what you want to do with your life. And now that you've served your time. You life will continue without teachers and classrooms. Whether there is a big job shifts or not.

Don't worry about what your parents think your life should look like, or what you should be doing. Don't let the people who have their "adult" jobs and "life" all together make you feel bad, because sometimes the best things in life take time. And just because it all looks good on paper doesn't mean it does off of it.

You've been doing school for as long as you can remember, and it feels good to be done. It really does. But, it isn't as big as a deal as you ever thought it would be. Honestly, after everything, most of us just need a break from it all. Just to enjoy a few seconds not having school anymore for the first time in our lives.

Because they what don't tell you that is most important is that as long as you're happy, and can pay your bills, there's really nothing else that matters. Trust in the process, and good things will come your way.

What they don't tell you is that just because college ends doesn't mean that you have to change anything about who you are, or your life. It doesn't mean that it's time to grow up. Yes, I'm sure we all can agree that some habits should be left in the dorms. But, just because it's all over doesn't mean the things you love, and the fun have to end. Because in reality, your life is only beginning. And if you take all the fun out of life, it's pointless.

Adulting doesn't mean trading your youth in. Responsibility doesn't mean not having fun. Adulting is all about how you want to define it.

We are millennials, why would we ever try to let anyone else tell us how to live our lives? Let alone tell us how to define words that we've created.

Nothing is guaranteed in this life. Life has a funny way of working itself out. Live in the moment, and work your ass off for what you believe in. Follow what sets your soul on fire.

Proud of you. Class of 2019.