As graduation day approaches for the seniors at West Field, it’s clear that all of the feelings are a bit all over the place. Certain people are counting down the days, excited with moving on as well as starting fresh, while other people are feeling the weight of what they’re about to be leaving behind. Following four years of hard work, getting the diploma seems like the light at the end of a tunnel. But is it total relief with excitement or is there more within the story?
High school is, for many students, a period of change—moving from childhood’s ease into adult struggles. Everyone, starting at age six, begins on a road to one major goal: graduation. As years continue onward, it feels a bit more real, and when senior year comes around, it seems the finish line is in front of you. You’ve worked toward this moment for so long; now that it’s here, celebration and relief are in order. Yet, it is not quite that simple for most.
High school is always seen in its entirety as a time for people to grow, but it is a time for having fun, and for making mistakes, as well as being young before life becomes serious. The reality regarding what is ahead hits harder, as graduation gets closer. Many seniors will reply to a question, “Are you excited to graduate?” with an excited, “Yes, I can’t wait!” But when you dig deeper, you start seeing all the layers under that excitement—the pressure, the nerves and the uncertainty that comes from stepping to adulthood.
It’s not solely about concluding classes and tests, it’s about concluding a routine, a structure established throughout years. Several students have forged actual lifelong friendships, while other students have met real personal challenges which have shaped who they are during this era. Graduation marks a moment at which they’ll step into a world full of unknowns. It is a wild belief that everything is near transition.
Even among the nerves, several seniors are inclined for that leap. For college, work, or something other than those, they are ready in anticipation of the fresh chapter, despite a degree of fear from it. Graduation is at the end of high school, but it’s also just the start toward adulthood, and that’s something like a moment that can be exciting and overwhelming. West Field seniors are feeling both excitement and nervousness, as the big day gets even closer.
