As the 2024 to 2025 school year comes to an end and UC High’s Senior Class prepares to dawn their baby blue caps and gowns and bid one final adieu to high school, the ever-looming question grows increasingly difficult to ignore: is there truly good in goodbye? While it certainly seems so, it’s undeniable that just one too many “lasts” can sadden saying goodbye to one’s high school experience.
While it’s true that graduating often means taking one final look at faces you’ve practically grown up seeing on a daily basis, it also means taking a step towards meeting hundreds of new people, often from all over the world. According to one study on college friendships conducted by Elon University, seventy-nine percent of people report having met their lifelong best friend at college (elon.edu). That is an overwhelming majority of participants who formed some of the most important connections of their lives not long after graduating high school.
As the coming-of-age experience nears its end, the graduating class can expect to be treated like young adults. While the term “responsibility” may seem daunting, it can actually translate to freedom. After graduation, many will begin to make far more decisions for themselves on a myriad of topics, ranging from what to have for dinner, to what career they chase, to choosing where to travel next. As a result, many teenagers will begin to discover more about themselves, their passions, and what they want to do with the rest of their lives.
According to Vocal Media, a blog related to education, “For many students, the moment they walk across the stage and receive their diploma is a time of sheer exhilaration. There are no more tests to take, no more papers to write, and for the first time in what seems like forever, they’re free” (vocal.media). This highly anticipated newfound freedom is an undeniable benefit of leaving high school behind. With the benefit of more free time, many young adults turn toward picking up new hobbies, and may even find their lifelong passions.
Leaving the walls of high school behind can embolden people to try things they would have typically shied away from, opening up a truly rewarding path of self discovery. According to a career readiness website, “Life after high school is full of exploration, and it’s okay not to know exactly where you’ll end up” (careerreadyallegheny.org). For some, this form of exploration can be as drastic as moving to another country or as minimal as trying a new hairstyle. Either way, the liberation that accompanies leaving high school behind is an undeniable bonus, affirming that there is in fact, good in goodbye.