The happiest memories are created in the summer.

We’re out of school, there’s less stress, fewer things to worry about and more time to spend with family and friends. Maybe not for all of us, but it is certainly a season in which you can let the ocean wash away your worries.

However, like all good things, summer must come to an end every year. For some, the end of summer means going back to school as usual or taking a huge step towards the future.

In my case, I’ve just graduated high school and college is my new destination. Obviously, that is not the destination for all of us, but nonetheless, we’ve all started to tread lightly or even in full force toward our passions and goals. 

It is not a lie when I say that transitioning to college from the carefree times of summer and just high school is a big change for us. For me, it feels like the moment in the first “Harry Potter” movie when Harry is told that he’s a wizard by Hagrid. Everything suddenly becomes so different for him. I think of that scene now and then when I’m walking to my classes.

But unlike Harry, it’s like we’re being told by our personal versions of Hagrid that we’re college students now. 

Of course, it’s weird to compare college to that one memorable scene. But that is exactly how I feel about college. It’s not like all of us imagined that we’d be here, but it just kind of happened. 

After the first week of college, nothing felt that different from high school, unless I count in the fact that buying required materials for class really hurt my wallet. Everything’s extremely expensive, even if you end up finding a cheaper option.

Anyway, the point is that college isn’t so different from high school. It’s only different in the sense that we’re adults and we have more freedom. We’re also in the process of making lifelong friends and we’re starting to figure out what we like. Some of us even have everything figured out and college is just that stepping stone toward the final goal. 

Regardless, kudos to all of us for making it here. It’s a new journey, but a promising one. Obviously, the journey is as promising as you make it out to be.

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