College Bound Freshman Finds Strength in Trying Times By Stephanie Suddreth t goes without saying that this year has been a wild ride, causing the senior year for the class of 2020 to come to a screeching halt. Even now, there are so many unanswered questions about our first year of college. All current events and world news aside, our lives are about to change more than they ever have before. Personally, I have never been more eager to see what the future holds, now that college is next on the line-up. This entire experience has taught me the importance of rolling with the punches and adapting to my environment, something I’m sure I’ll find useful this first college semester.
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I think my generation especially fantasizes about the future, and it’s crazy to try and comprehend that our future is here. Undergoing one of the biggest changes of my life amidst all the circumstances is of course, scary at times. However, I think that’s part of the fun of it. There’s something to be said about the summer before your first year of college, the last moments of your present life before you submerge yourself into a completely new world. I’m sure many of the people in my situation can agree that we already feel like we’ve aged since high
school, despite knowing that this is only the calm before the storm. I’ve always been the type to romanticize the future, and being the very first chapter of my adult life, college has been something I have felt ready to take on, especially over the last couple of years. One of my biggest fears has been not being prepared enough, as I’ve always felt like I was supposed to have all the answers even before experiencing something, college being the biggest example of this fear. While some of those feelings still linger, I am growing to learn that no one will ever have all of the answers or feel like they know exactly how to handle
new experiences. Especially now, with all these unanswered questions about what our next semester is going to look like, learning as you go seems to be the way to live life as a college student. All in all, I feel terrified and excited and ready all at the same time. Something we’ve all learned in these past few months is the power of feeling connected to each other; this has helped me to overcome some of my fears of the future. While it’s easy to say that a pandemic is what defines our present, I think the excitement for the future links us all together. I continue to remind myself that the lessons I am learning now are only setting myself up for success in college, and even beyond. I find comfort in the peace within the hectic moments, though there have been many, even in the weeks since I’ve graduated high school. There is still so much I have to learn before leaving for college, but I can’t help but think that all of this has happened for a reason, forcing us all to cherish the tiny moments that have gone unappreciated. About the Author Stephanie Suddreth is a 2020 graduate of Bridgeland High School. She plans to study Communications at Texas State University this fall.
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