Are the Seniors Ready For College?

Four years ago, the class of 2021 was beginning their first year of high school thinking that they had time to savor it. We were always told by past seniors about how quickly the years went by, but we never believed it. Now we are graduating and going off to college. Some of us are ready for this change and have been waiting for it all year, while others are not. In the past, the seniors were able to have their more traditional events to help them transition into their college life. Since many events were altered this year due to the pandemic, many seniors do not have the same feeling of preparedness. 

Many seniors have been preparing for college and moving away from home. They have bought things for their dorms and begun to learn the basics of adulthood. Though learning how to do laundry and cook for yourself is not all that needs to be done. Are we ready to fully take responsibility for ourselves and our property? We will no longer have our parents telling us where we left our keys or when dinner will be ready. It will be our responsibility to nourish ourselves and gain independence while keeping up with our classes and extracurriculars. 

“At Academy, I have learned how to become more independent, responsible, and confident in my own abilities through my studies and involvement in the community. Although these qualities are important, I do believe that I am still growing and learning how to assume complete responsibility for myself as I continue to gain experience,” said Danielle Fonsing (‘21). 

With this newfound responsibility, we can develop our “adulting” skills. Living at home can make it so that you do not have as many household responsibilities than living at college. We are also able to build financial responsibility in buying groceries and buying supplies for classes. We will be able to slowly get into the practice of taking care of ourselves at a younger age than others. 

Many seniors still do not know things or have had experiences that are considered essential for college life and adulthood. History teacher Stacy Filocco has decided to teach her senior advisory skills for college during the advisory period. She asked her advisory which things they would like to discuss, because they believe it will be important for college. Filocco has taught topics such as taxes, insurance, sewing, and healthy and affordable recipes. Seniors can use the time between school ending and starting college to learn about these things and also about what to do during certain situations. 

Being physically and emotionally prepared are two very different things. Many people feel as if they need distance from their parents so they go to a college further away. Though are you ready to not have your parents there when you need them. Having some distance and developing independence is important, but we are still kids who need their parents sometimes. We will not have them there with us when we have had a bad day or get into trouble. 

Not only are we distancing ourselves from our parents, but also our friends. Our friends are the people we can go to when we can not go to our parents. Not seeing them everyday can drastically affect and change the state of our relationships. We have to prepare to live separate lives and possibly grow apart. Though we may grow apart from our AHN friends, we have the opportunity to make new friends at our colleges. Having a physical distance between you and your friends can also bring you closer together after having been together for so long. With the opportunity to make new friends and grow closer to your AHN friends can help widen your friend group.

Students who have been at AHN since elementary school will experience the greatest change. The environment that AHN provides is supportive and encouraging, which you may not find in college. Not walking the same halls and seeing the same faces can be shocking and possibly scary. Especially when going to a larger college, being in such a large setting will take time to get used to. Though, those who have been here since elementary school may feel more ready to part with the school and transition into college. 

“Even though we’ll miss the school, after so many years we need some change. With our time at AHN, we have been able to prepare ourselves to leave and start a new journey. Since many girls are going to the same colleges, there is still a sense of a familiar community that makes the transition easier,” said Rhyan Tappan (‘21). 

People who have been here for a shorter time have mixed emotions about leaving. Some may feel satisfied with what they accomplished and the time they spent here. Your attitude entering the school can greatly affect the way you leave the school. Those eager to come to AHN as freshmen may find it harder to leave now that they have been here. Though those who were not as inclined to come may feel ready to leave and move on to another school. 

Through all of this many seniors are ready to start their new journey in college. Many are still in shock over ending their high school careers, but are excited to participate in traditional senior events. Overall, all the seniors are slowly making their way through this transition and are each at different levels of preparedness.