When I first found out that I was
accepted to my first choice college, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Most of
which was excitement. But there was a problem, it was up in San Jose. To some
that may not seem far especially to the ones going out of state for college,
but for me that distance was was extreme. When the excitement died down, I was
only left with one emotion: sadness. I was sad because I realized that I would
have to leave my family and friends and go live in an apartment with 3
strangers. Yes I would be able to see my family every couple months when I come
down to visit, but I got even sadder when I realized that I may never see any
of my friends again after graduation. Some of those friends I have been friends
with for years, and others only for senior year. And those relationships that I
created, I wish wouldn’t end so soon but that is how life goes. I realize that
some friends will be lost over the years, but friendships are suppose to last a
lifetime. I will hopefully see some of my closer friends when I visit but I
know it will never be the same between us all. But in life, it is more
important to follow your dreams that to sacrifice them for friends.
Find the shape and tell it!
I completely understand what you're feeling. With our futures getting to be so close and a whole new reality that comes with it there is definitely a barrage of emotions that, I think, all seniors are feeling right now. You're definitely right when you said life doesn't always go how we want it to, but in that we create new experiences and new friendships and relationships that will last, without having to risk your dreams for them. I wish you the best of luck in college and congratulations on getting accepted! That's such a huge triumph, you should feel very proud! Good luck with all your future endeavors!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for writing this. In a few months, I'm about to experience the same thing you're going to experience. I totally agree with you when you talk about the sacrifices we'll have to make, in order to reach a goal. Just know that whatever sacrifices you make in the future, no matter how hard they will be, will pay off in the end. I pray that you'll be successful during this new chapter of your life :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you chose to write about a subject everyone can relate to right now. After everyone's received their college acceptances and have an idea of where they're headed, many people are so focused on the future that they don't know what they're leaving in the present. I'm glad that you've chosen to pursue your future, because even then it's your life to choose, and it's great that you chose to incorporate that idea into your story as well.
ReplyDeleteIm going through the same situation as you are Ryan. With high school coming to an end and college around the corner, things are about to be thrown at you from your left and right. I have 3 college options and chosing between one is complicated. Not only that, most of them are quite far from my home. My friends and family will be out of reach and emotions will be all over the place. But I agree with you, it's more important to follow our dreams.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this is the same situations most graduating seniors face at this time of year. It is difficult to leave your family and friends behind to pursue your dreams but you can still be in contact with them through social media. You will always make new friends and have new experiences in college that will help you transition into new stage of your life.
ReplyDeleteThank you for telling your story Ryan, it is so hard to realize how much we are truly leaving behind once we go away to college. We leave the environment that has shaped who we are and we leave the people who have had tremendous impacts on our lives. However, when we do branch off you are able to grow as your own individual and have new amazing experiences. I wish you the best luck in your next adventure into college Ryan!
ReplyDeleteBecause we're all going off and leaving high school, I feel like your story hits really close to home. In a way, we all have small moments of realization that we'll be leaving soon but it won't compare to the feeling we'll have on the actual day we leave. When you mentioned leaving family and friends, it made me feel really sad too because the message of time flying by so fast is so relatable and I hope it'll all work out how we want it to. Great job Ryan.
ReplyDeleteUs graduating students can deeply relate to your piece. Once high school ends, all of us will go down our own separate paths. We're all excited to leave high school however, once graduation draws closer and closer we come to realize exactly what it is we're leaving behind. Those special bonds we created with our friends and loved ones will remain in a distant place within ourselves. Life goes on at it's own pace, leaving us no time to dwell too long on the past. Great job Ryan! - Jerico Dizon
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well written piece you truly captures the true view of preparing for collge and the journey that lies after high school
ReplyDeleteI totally feel the same!I am going away to school in Idaho, and even though I am very excited I am also very nervous. Its crazy to live somewhere your whole life, go to school with the same people for years, just to leave it behind. even though I am sad I have to remember that I need to do what is simply best for me. I also need to trust in myself and make sure I make an effort to see the friends I am leaving behind. Ryan we are all on this boat together and just gotta go with it and see what happens. Great Job, this piece was very relateable and well written!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this piece because i think it is very relateable right now, and what we are all going through and feeling. In life we must make sacrifices, and this happens to be yours, but we all sacrifice something. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteThis hit me and made me realize that everyone is about to go their separate ways once we graduate. I really liked this piece because you do have to sacrifice certain things in order for you to accomplish dreams in the future.
ReplyDeleteLetting go can be hard but the truth is, we are all alone. We can't carry others along because just as our life is moving so are theirs. It's sad, but thats just the way it is. Welcome the new experiences you will have and know that your family will be there for you when you really need them. Getting out there on your own is something you must do in order to find yourself, we can rely too greatly on comfort and some of us become boring people. I wish you the best and hope you found my comments useful. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is something that everyone can connect with right now. I am moving 7 hours away and i am trying to put it out of my mind. friends that i have had for years i may not see for months at a time and that is scary. the idea of being alone in a new place, not knowing anyone. I hope you find the peace and comfort that you need while making this transition.
ReplyDeleteWhile most people tend to focus on their eagerness for college, this piece takes a different approach and describes the emotions involved with leaving friends and family members behind for strangers on a foreign campus. It takes a step beyond the initial college excitement and demonstrates that there is more to the thrill of the independence associated with college life. This story allows for the audience to reflect on and consider the value of their current relationships with family members and friends and how they will maintain them when in a new environment. Overall, this is a thought-provoking piece.
ReplyDeleteSuch a short yet powerful piece. The topic of discussion is extremely pertinent, and it also resonates with me deeply. I value my friendships a lot and to think of losing one because of distance is somewhat scary to me, however that is going to be my reality soon. I liked how you shifted the tone to a happy and excited one to a sad and somber one. The shift sort of caught me off guard, however i liked its effect.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you're saying here and I think that many of us can relate to this feeling. We get so excited in our acceptance to a college or colleges that we often forget what that means. Sure if the college is close to him some may choose to live with their families, but that takes away from our freedom to explore in college. Of course we may have to sacrifice some or most of our friends in order to go to college, but in the end we'll be pursuing our dreams. Thank you for this wake up call for many
ReplyDeleteWhile everyone is excited to move away for college, your piece shows the reality and sadness of the situation. Also it shows how you and many other students are leaving behind a big part of their life and starting a new journey. You show you are going to miss many of your friends, but still need to follow your dreams and that is a great message. Great job!
ReplyDeleteMoving on to a new chapter in life can be challenging, especially when you realize that you're uprooting your whole life to move to a completely new place where you don't really have any one to lean on. Of course the choice to move on is most often not an easy one, but starting your own life and beginning to write you own story as an individual can become a brand new exciting adventure of your own!
ReplyDeletethinking of all the responsibilities we have coming is such a mental strain. But i know what you are going through. they all warned us that high school would be the best and worst years or our lives. sometimes we just have to live in the moment. Moving away gives you a chance to make new life long friends on the same journey as you. A chance to recreate yourself, so be excited not sad! Great job on expressing your feelings.
ReplyDeleteI can completely relate to what it feels like to worry about what will happen to your relationships after high school, but I am honestly amazed at how you can make a very mature decision at a still, very young age. Most do not realize that making decision based off of how it will affect your relationships, is very bad. You are am amazing writer and I wish you nothing but the best on your new chapter in life. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteChange can definitely be difficult but you can always grow in one way or another. This exciting, yet scary change will help you open new doors and expand your horizons. The strangers you live with will eventually become your friends and you will meet new people. I wish you the best of luck.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really deep piece to wrap it all up. It really convey your true feelings about the topic well. Good story and good luck with the next step of your life!
ReplyDeleteRyan, this piece truly expressed what so many of us are feeling having to go off to college and leave everything behind for a while. I loved the tone of your piece and how you knew your audience and therefore chose a topic that they could relate to. Also, your descriptive detail made the story more interesting, rather than it just being a plain short story about a boy leaving to college. GREAT JOB!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you brought this up, even though my high school experience hasn't been the greatest I've had some conflicting emotions about leaving now. I didn't necessarily get into my dream school but when I think of it it's hard to suddenly leave all the friends and close people you've known for years. I have to agree with you and everyone else here that even though people will come and go they'll always have a certain place in our hearts and minds, keep your head up and great job for making something we can all relate to as we rush into the real world! Also, best of luck in your future ambitions! 👍
ReplyDeleteI find it truly sad to know that all the connections we have made will soon be broken in the next few months as we separate and go our own ways to work towards our ideal future. However, instead of imagining it as something sad, I see it as a new beginning where we can make and expand our connections, making new friends in college and in our future occupation.
ReplyDeletedefinitely relate to this piece as I'm moving almost 2000 miles away for school next year. I hate that I'm gonna leave al my friends behind, but I now it will benefit me in the end. your use of tone helped to really convey the emotion in this piece, good job!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely sucks that so much time spent bonding and getting close with those we think will be lost but it is for a greater cause. Your piece is deep and your tone definitely had us all feeling something similar, good job!
ReplyDeleteWell first off, congratulations for being accepted to your first choice, Ryan. I know that it can be a struggle leaving behind people that have really held you down over the years, but know that life is a journey that we all have to take, and sometimes it takes us in different directions than our friends and family. But, I think you'll be just fine .
ReplyDeleteChange is always scary for anyone going through any change and you captured this perfectly for what many of us are feeling as our senior year is ending. I thought how you showed how not only how all of us might not be able to see our family as much anymore but also lose many friends that we have made is something was spot on and that we'll have to deal with as we go on and go through change. Congrats on your acceptance.
ReplyDelete