08 Jun An Honest Graduation Article
By: Megan Jones
Congratulations class of 2022! From graduating from school or moving onto to a new grade, you should be very proud. PsiNapse applauds you and your accomplishments! However, from my personal experience graduation can bring a plethora of emotions. It can be exciting, overwhelming, nerve-wracking, and confusing. You should remember to feel excited and proud because graduating is a huge accomplishment. PsiNapse has written two pervious articles on advice and how to celebrate. However, for today’s article I wanted to provide an honest graduation article about the all the different experiences and emotions of graduating.
Learn to Embrace Change
Change can be difficult to accept. If you are anything like me, I use to fear change because of the unknown. When I graduated both high school and college, I felt the autonomy to choose. Although, for some that might feel freeing, I was frightened. I had to make a choice, and there was not a clear path to take. Change can feel scary especially when you aren’t certain what and where your next journey will have in store. However, change is necessary and pivotal. You cannot grow without change. In fact, if you can recognize the small changes in your life such as how the seasons change, you can recognize that change is constant. You have already experienced so much change and metamorphized because of it. Accept and embrace the change of graduating. You can do this and even if you do not know what your next step is, believe in yourself to find out and enjoy the journey of where it takes you.
Embrace your Emotions
Graduating brought me a plethora of emotions. I was excited and relieved to what I had accomplished. However, I was also sad and anxious. This was the first time I wasn’t going to see my peers every day. This was the first time that everyone was going to go in a different direction. That can be scary. But ride the wave of your emotions. It is okay to feel any and all emotion that graduating brings. Give yourself that time to embrace your emotions so you can process what you are feeling and why. Additionally, even if you are feeling weary about graduating, ensure you also take a moment to feel proud and excited. Graduating is a huge accomplishment and a monumental moment. Take the time to feel proud of yourself for making it!
Don’t Fear Rejection
I don’t personally like to use the word failure because not getting something on the first try doesn’t mean you failed. I believe you only fail if you don’t learn from the incident and then give up. There will be moments that you feel like you failed, and I have experienced my fair share. From not getting into your top school, to applying for jobs and constantly being told “ We are going with another candidate”. However, look at these moments as learning lessons and don’t give up. It can be exceptionally difficult, but I interpret these moments as motivation to prove to others and showcase your skillset. There will be moments of rejection and you must accept them and not let them deter you to keep trying. Although it sounds cliché, you will end up exactly where you are meant to. Don’t give up, trust the process, and keep trying your best and it will lead you to success.
Don’t Compare Yourself
It can be difficult to constantly see the success of others and not compare yourself. When I was in high school, there were students going to Ivy League Schools, top universities and traveling across the world to go to school. I didn’t feel that I matched their seemingly obvious talent, I felt that same feeling after graduating college and seeing individuals immediately land manger positions at top companies. I hope these feelings are not normal to everyone, but they were normal to me. However, if there is one thing, I learned, it is you do not do yourself any justice comparing yourself to others. Moreover, people tend to only post their successes, not the steps in between or the rejection they faced. However, regardless of other people, focus on yourself. Everyone’s journey is incomparable. Focus on you, your successes, and be your own motivator to better yourself rather than focusing on being better than someone else.
Believe and Be Kind to Yourself
Believing in yourself can be the hardest lesson to learn. There are plenty of quotes about believing and being kind to yourself but there are two that resonate with me.
“Be as Kind to Yourself as You Are to Others”
I am the first person to criticize myself, believing I am not good enough and that even the tiniest of mistakes is a testament to the person I am. But it isn’t. You are not your mistakes and they do not define you; they guide you. Therefore, when you are in a difficult situation, take a moment to think that if a family member, friend, or peer was in the same situation, what would you say to them? If you are anything like me, I tend to be more encouraging and kinder to others in their hardship than in my own. The next time you feel like you are falling short, or you can’t do it, take a moment to reflect. What would you say to someone else who was going through the same experience? Then give yourself that kindness.
“The Words You Speak Become the House You Live In”
To me these two quotes go hand in hand. The words you speak, describe, and criticize become the house you live in. Don’t make it a negative place. Accept your mistakes, grow from them, show kindness to yourself. Fill your house with positivity and celebrate your successes. You can do this, believe in yourself.
Congratulations Class of 2022!
This may not be your typical graduation article, but they I believe they are important lessons to learn. You deserve to feel proud and excited about your future, but sometime that isn’t always the case. I wish you the best of luck in your future and I know that each graduate will land successfully on your feet. Your next journey awaits, embrace your emotions, expect a challenging journey but remember that you are well equipped to handle any situation . You can do this, and you will be successful. Congratulations class of 2022, you have accomplished so much, and I know you will continue to do so!
