Preparing for graduation and beyond
The term “commencement” is lumped together with ceremony, and usually refers to the graduation rites.
But since the term means “beginning”, it would be interesting to note that in the preparation for graduation, saying goodbye to high school life is just as important as planning for a new life after high school.
On goodbyes
Senior year in high school is often marked with emotional farewells. The focus is usually on friends.This might mean less time at home, and more bonding time with the barkadas.
However, for those leaving home for college, graduation would also mean saying “goodbye” to family. It is important to remind graduating students to also allocate quality time for their parents and family members.
On life lessons
As someone who has already been through high school graduation before, don’t forget to give some life lessons to your students before letting them go on to the more complex college grind.
Here are some examples:
- The first thing that they should do is to learn what the options are. Sometimes, pressure comes from all sides, with people asking the students what they want to do with their lives. But in actuality, they don’t need to rush. They have to discover what they like, and work on the things they like if they want to be good at it.
- Fixed plans are sometimes a liability as they encourage inflexibility. The world changes at an extremely fast pace. So whatever skills are needed for certain occupations when they were in high school might no longer be useful when they graduate college. Remind students to be flexible and learn as much.
- When it comes to careers, it is sometimes helpful to simply look at the choices currently available, and select the one with the most promising range of options afterwards.
- Once they have decided what to pursue, be consistent in advocacies, interests and gaining skills and credentials. This way, they won’t regret about wasting time in college.
On college
When it comes to choosing which college to go to, it is important for the students to consider their priorities. Does the school they want cater to their needs or is it just comfortably close to home? Does it have a good learning environment? Are their study habits more suited for a college in the city or in a small town?
With just a mouse-click away, students can learn more about colleges and universities through research on the Internet. They should also ask relatives and friends for advice.
After narrowing down the choices, they should find out the schools’ admission requirements and tuition fees. Being prepared financially for their entire college life is considered a luxury worth working hard for. To help parents’ finances, they can check if the college has emergency loans, student scholarship options and student work opportunities available.
After all the lessons, tips and advice you gave, it is now time to say a happy goodbye to your students, knowing in your hearts that you’ve prepared them well for the next stage of their lives. Congratulations to you also, dear teacher!
Sources:
Graham, Paul. “What you’ll wish you’d know.” Retrieved March 12, 2008 from http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html
Kendrick, Carleton. “Saying Goodbye to Your High School Graduate.” Retrieved March 12, 2008 from http://school.familyeducation.com/family/relationships/37673.html?detoured=1
“Next Steps.” Retrieved March 12, 2008 from http://www.jostens.com/graduation/steps.asp
“Parent and Student Information.” Retrieved March 12, 2008 from
http://www.jostens.com/graduation/home.asp
“Preparing for graduation.” Retrieved March 12, 2008 from
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/after_hs.html
(Published 24 March 2008, Smart Schools Program)
