Ever since the start of Senior year, I always look back at last year’s Seniors and think about how weird it is that we are now in their spot. Those Seniors are now off in college almost done with their Freshman year.

With Graduation quickly approaching, I often think, what is it like a year after you graduate? I reached out to a few college students who graduated from South Windsor High School last year and talked with them about what life has been like since they graduated last year. Connor Dunn attends Western New England where he plays football. He says, “If I could give one piece of advice it would be, be careful how you use the unlimited swipes at the dining hall.” Dunn also said, “Manage your time so you can go out on the weekends and have fun, don’t leave everything until sunday.” Although I don’t understand quite what he meant by “be careful how you use your unlimited swipes” I mean, how can you be careful with UNLIMITED swipes??? Regardless, It was nice to hear from someone who was such a big football star in high school.

Next I spoke with Olivia Flint who attends Roger Williams University. She gave me a more in depth look at what it’s been like for her. She told me, “Throughout the first year after graduating high school, you definitely learn a lot very quickly. It may sound cliche but you learn who your real friends are, you learn a lot about yourself, about responsibility, and about independence. Other than that, college is really what you make of it. You have a sort of new found freedom to make your own decisions, which is a good feeling but something you need to be wise about. Overall, I have found that through the transition and shift in responsibilities, it is a time in your life in which you can really explore and find yourself.”  I think Olivia spoke to a lot of points that I have been thinking about. I can imagine that you really do figure out who your true friends are. I mean, will your friends completely flake on you when you get to college? Or will they reach out and want to get together? I guess you have to wait to find out.

Lastly I spoke with Keegan Caffrey attends Stevensons University where she plays soccer. Keegan told me that she feels like a whole new person since she graduated high school almost a year ago. “College changed me for the best. Yes it was a hard adjustment at first, but it makes you appreciate everything you have back at home. The family, the friends, and the place you grew up. No matter how far or close you are, it’s always a part of you and it’s a story you get to tell the new people that you meet. You make the greatest friends and learn the most about yourself in college.” After talking to these three individuals I learned that Connor must use a lot of swipes at the dining hall, Olivia has been a lot more independent, and despite how far from home Keegan is, she will never forget her roots. It think students in high school can learn a lot from recent grads. I know people constantly worry about what life will be like after high school, but if you sit down and speak with a recent grad, you will learn a lot from them.