As May is just around the corner, many seniors, like me, have been anticipating the moment to walk across the stage and say ‘I did it’ after 4 grueling years of high school. After receiving the diploma, we reflect on all of the good times, the bad times, the stressful times, and the funny times, and we are ready for the next chapter of our life’s. For many it might be working at a fast food joint or going to Barton Community College, but for seniors who are about to attend a four year college away from their home and family, it can be a scary but exciting adventure. What is it like to be one of those seniors?

“It’s excited to get away from Great Bend and live in a new environment” Great Bend High School senior Kennedy Kern said, “I’m excited to make decisions for myself and not have someone always over my shoulder.”

While Kern only shared her opinion, she speaks for a majority of seniors going off to a 4 year college. Many of these seniors are just becoming an adults and want to experience there new life without parents or close friends to correct every wrong that they do. They want to go in head first and make there own decisions.

“I’m a little nervous because Lawrence is huge and Great Bend is so small so it’s definitely going to be a change,” Kern said about going to the University of Kansas, where she will be attending.

Living in a new environment, like Kern addressed, can be very exciting but scary. When you have lived in the same place, around the same people, the same routines, and same feel, going off to another city or town is nerve racking.

Senior Malachi Wasson disagrees with Kern’s concerns because he’s “a very social person, I look forward to making new friendships and meet new people!”

While Wasson can use his natural life skills to adapt to a new environment, many seniors struggle to make friends and be a social person. We have adapted to the same friends, schedule, and routine for the last 4 years of our lives but that’s all going to change when going to a four year college.

“My biggest fear about college is time management and organization” Wasson addressed, “I’m not the greatest with it, which will make my busy college schedule even busier.”

Indubitably there will be resources to help with some of these concerns, but in reality, it mostly comes down to the student. When college is brought up, it’s always about the memories people have made or the party’s they have attended but never about the work itself. Incoming Freshman are aware that there is going to be a lot of homework but this is something that hardly gets talked about. Having someone explain how classes works,  strategies to help you complete a mountain of work in only a short period of time, and balance your school and personal time would be helpful.

Even though there are some hassles that are going to be difficult and challenging, there are still lesson that have been learnt at home that can be applied for college.

“Some valuable lessons that I will apply to college is how to do laundry and dishes so I’ll get along more with my roommate,” Wasson continues “I have also learned how to communicate with my peers and teachers and I can apply that at college.”

While college might be a scary journey, going to a new environment and facing new challenges, it’s going to pay off in the end. Having this new freedom of not having someone over your shoulder, participating in whatever clubs you want, and meeting new people is going to make college a positive experience.