As the second half of the school year begins, graduation becomes a reality for seniors.
Graduation is coming up, and there are a lot of mixed emotions among students as they start getting close to leaving high school. This is the first time kids will experience being an adult, and some are excited because they know what they want to do when they graduate, but there are also a lot of students who are nervous because they don’t know what they want to do after they leave school.
Some students who are getting ready to graduate feel prepared because they have a plan of what they want to do after they leave. Having a plan makes taking on new challenges feel easier, so students having a general idea of what they want to do helps them not feel anxious when it’s time to go out on their own. According to a Harvard Business Review writer, Kate Northup, “Having a plan is one of the best stress-reduction strategies… research shows that a sense of control helps us stave off symptoms of depression and anxiety.” This shows that two of the main feelings that make seniors worry about graduating could be taken care of by having a plan. Having a plan isn’t the end all be all, but it makes taking on big challenges a lot easier.
The point of creating a plan is to break down big tasks or challenges into smaller parts, this is called chunking. Think of it like a burger, if you ate it all in one bite you’d probably spit it out before you could even taste it so why try to take on a big challenge all at once? You should create a step-by-step plan to see your progress towards where you want to be. Think of each step as a bite so you do not get overwhelmed.
Additionally, students are very hard on themselves and expect everything to go right the first time. This holds students back because they set unreasonable expectations for themselves, and then are hard on themselves when they don’t achieve their goals right away. I believe that students should be open to learning everything they can, and willing to change their plans if things don’t work how they thought they would. We also need to be more resilient when facing adversity and setbacks. Mistakes will happen as we are human.
As a young adult starting your life on your own, there are so many new adventures and obstacles you are going to have to deal with that you never even thought about before, this is why it is so important to always be open to learning new skills and be flexible with your plan because you won’t have all the answers going into new chapters of your life.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Write your goals down and create a plan with small steps on how to get there. It’s ok to not know what to do, but as you approach adulthood and graduation, it’s important to create your own path so you aren’t wandering around aimlessly.
