Advice for Grads

Most people when they think about high school students graduating think about prom. Prom and all the parties that come along side the celebration, lead to excessive amounts of drinking and alcohol. Should grad simply be about the partying and the drinking, or is there more to think about? It has been said that maturity is the ability to step outside your circumstances and see yourself objectively. Think about a child in a playground playing in the sand. They are not thinking about the sand or the jungle gym around them, they are just enjoying themselves. Similarly with students who are graduating, they aren’t typically thinking about how they are going to feel after the fact, they just want to finish. Most grads are not self aware enough to be thinking about graduating as a huge milestone and a life changing event that will lead them into the rest of their lives.

Students who are graduating are caught up in their own world of fashion, partying, and worrying about what other people think about them. These things cause them to miss the reality that this milestone marks an important transition into adulthood. To be sure, many students are thinking about their future in further schooling, and some are thinking about the kinds of careers they want to pursue, others are just simply happy that exams and finals are coming to a close for the summer.

I think there are three main stressors that keep people from enjoying grad. Things like worrying about what to wear, who to hang out with, and how to maximize the “fun” quotient are just a few of the distractions. These things are all important, but I think that sometimes they can sidetrack us from seeing what is really happening right in front of our eyes! The fact that we are becoming adults, set loose to travel or to experience life outside the home. It would be a shame to look back in 10 years and think about all the things that you missed out on while you were worrying about what date to bring to prom.

I have some advice that may be helpful for some of the grads who find themselves worrying about these types of things. First of all I think it is important to be thankful. There are many people who, as students, we owe our gratitude. Think about how much our parents, friends and teachers have helped us over the 12 years of school. There are also many other people who have helped to get you to the place you are now. I think it is important to tell these people who much they are appreciated. They will never forget it. It seems to me that graduating from high school would be a good time to start developing a habit of being thankful to others.

Secondly, I think it is important, as grade 12 students, to not take ourselves too seriously. I think we need to relax! No one is going to remember what dresses we wore to prom. After all, in North America there are hundreds of thousands of teenage girls who are graduating this year alone. Out of that many girls, does it really matter who has the most expensive or the most extravagant dress? Instead of worrying about these insignificant, superficial things; I think it is important to focus on others more. During the next month, and during grad, I want to pass out as many compliments to my friends as I can, and encourage them. It is surprising how three simple words like: “you look great!” can change someone’s whole day. I want to help my classmates have the best time possible and I think if I do, it will be much more meaningful.

My final suggestions regarding this significant time in our lives relate to alcohol. Obviously, we shouldn’t drive when we have been drinking. As obvious as this sounds, every year around this time, too many young lives are cut short by grads who think they can ‘get away with it this time. Be smart, don’t drink and drive! Better yet, since we are all still underage, let’s not drink at all!
Now I know what some of you teenagers out there think about this idea. But take a minute to think about it. Isn’t this time in your life something worth remembering? What kind of an experience will you have on your prom night if you don’t ever see outside the bathroom stall? In my experience, I have found that if I am surrounded by friends and the people who I care about, there is no need for alcohol. In fact, if you are spending time with the right people, you can have more fun without it.

In conclusion I want to encourage you to think about this time in your life as a significant milestone that has the ability to shape your life for the future. Try not to get wrapped up in the external elements of graduation. Instead, focus on others. Tell those important people in your life how much they mean to you and how much help they have been over the years. Don’t take yourself too seriously and make good decisions. No one wants to look back on their prom and not remember what it was like.

To all my fellow grads, good luck in the future, I know you will do great things!