Senior year can be scary for students. It is a time where you have to get all your ducks in a row before continuing life after high school. Applying to college, trying to find a roommate, getting your certification from CPI, or even entering the workforce can all be stressful things to do during a pandemic. The Class of 2021 has had a rough go this year from the cancellation of Senior Ball to the uncertainty of graduation, and many questions have been left unanswered.

Heading to college is something that can be both exciting and terrifying as you enter a whole new world and become the adult you have spent your whole childhood waiting for. For some it’s what they have been waiting for: a chance to get out of the small town of Bellefonte and move away from home. For others, it can be a dreadful time. Moving away from their family and leaving behind their hometown can be difficult.

Some students are leaving behind Bellefonte and moving hours away. Some are even moving away to different states. This can be a huge step and a huge time in someone’s life. Not being able to go home when you want and being somewhere where you are your own parent are things that many people have never experienced before. This can seem daunting and you may be thinking “did I make the wrong decision?” The answer is no. You did not make the wrong decision; these feelings are normal and you will get through it. Everyone going to that college with you is feeling the exact same way, they are scared for the future and that is a normal feeling since fear of the unknown is something everyone struggles with.

Some students may have the opposite issue: students going to colleges close to home or students not moving away at all. You may be thinking that you made the wrong choice because how will branch out and make new friends when all of your friends from high school move away? This can be scary and it’s a valid emotion, but so many people feel the way you do and now that you are free and have that freedom, friends and new opportunities will be easier to obtain than you may think. It does not matter where you are going or what decision you have made; it matters what you do with it and what you make out of it. The power is in your hands to enter this next chapter with positivity and a good mindset rather than feeling defeated.

At times I have personally felt that I made the wrong decision; maybe college isn’t for me, and how am I going to live three hours away from home? I am not scared to admit that I am a homebody and I get homesick very easily, so college can be scary and a daunting thought, but it’s something that you can make amazing. All it takes is a good attitude and a good support system. So find the people who love you and make them your support system because they are the people who are going to help you through this chapter.

So Class of 2021, we have been through so much and this year has caused a lot of heartache and pain for many. The next chapter of your lives will be opening soon and you may be scared to live it but just remember to keep your head held high and know that everyone else feels the same way as you do.