To High School Seniors, From a College Senior

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Dear High School Seniors,

    I remember being in your shoes four years ago. I had just finished applying for college, savoring all the “lasts” with friends and in the sport I had dedicated four years of my life to, and was counting down the days until Winter Break and weeks until graduation in the spring. I remember balancing mixed feelings about the future. Funnily enough, it feels as though I am reliving many of these experiences and feelings all over again as I near the end of my penultimate semester at Purdue. While similar, I have found my outlook on these experiences and feelings have changed, reflecting everything I’ve learned about myself and about life these past four years. Here is what is the same, what is different, and the advice I have for you as you go through these experiences as well!


    Similar to you, I am trying to savor and cherish all of my “lasts” here at Purdue: last football games as a student, last events I get to participate in for work and clubs, last breaks spent with friends and family. There is a lot of change coming after I graduate in the spring. I too will no longer be surrounded by the same people in the place I have called home for years. What is different for me now than it was for me back in high school is now I really try my best to enjoy the present. High school me wanted to rush from one supposed milestone to the next. After the Homecoming dance, I just wanted to get to winter break. After winter break, I just wanted to get to prom and then to graduation. Some of you might feel like that too: counting away the days until what you think is the next big thing. However, I encourage you to really slow down and take everything in because it is in the little moments where you might make some of your favorite memories!


    Like you, I feel very unsure about what the next chapter of my life holds. High school Becca was worried about where she would get in and go to college and what she would do when she got there. Would I like my major? Would I like the people there? Will I have enough time to do things outside of the classroom? College seniors are in a similar spot while we look for jobs, graduate schools, and new cities to live in. We wonder how we are going to make friends or what we want to do in our local communities. Just like when I started college, right now I find myself trying to figure out where I want to live and how many roommates I want to live with. History has a funny way of repeating itself. However, instead of becoming overwhelmed by trying to predict and control the future, focus on just the next thing. Let the future worry about itself. You might be worried about making the “wrong” decisions, but know that every decision is the right one as it leads you closer to the best place for you to be!


    Lastly, you might notice the changes happening all around you as the next phase of life draws near. With college applications turned in, sports seasons ending, or all of those “resume builders” not really seeming to matter anymore, you might feel a bit lost. Don’t worry, I feel it too. With many clubs turning over officer positions, having a job secured for after graduation, and sports seasons coming to pass, I can feel the “real world” drawing closer. What I can tell you right now is it is important to prioritize the constants in your life: your closest friends and family. They are what matter most in this time and can help to make sense of the changes as you navigate the transition. In high school, your closest friends are the ones you’ll return to and update when you come back from breaks throughout college. It will seem like you never left. In college, your closest friends will be the ones you’ll fly across the country to visit during your time off from work. Your friends might be getting commissioned into the military, starting graduate school, getting married, or moving across the country for a new job among many other things in the next phase of life. Transition is a whole lot more enjoyable to go through with your closest friends in your corner. Invest the time to spend the last of your year together to profit for many years to come!

    A lot has changed for me in the past four years, but a lot hasn’t. As you experience all of these emotions and events in this period, know that you’re not going through it alone. High school and college will fly by in a flash, so be sure to enjoy every minute of it!

All the best,

A College Senior

Becca Jennings MSE '24

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