Every senior has a different viewpoint about his or her future. Some excited, some terrified, and some indifferent. Personally, I cannot wait to leave high school and move on to college; I have no reasons to stay and a million reasons to go. However, some students feel the complete opposite: afraid to leave their friends and family, feeling that their high school years were entirely too short-lived.

I think moving on is an amazing process. I was never particularly fond of spending another four years in the same place with the same people, even though I got to spend time with my friends daily. I’m sick of the same routine. I am welcoming college with open arms. Change is a good thing. We need to change things up in our lives in order to continue to evolve.

College is the perfect place to do this. In college, you can create new friendships and relationships, join clubs that didn’t exist in high school, and create a lifetime of new memories. I understand why people are afraid to leave Bethpage, afraid to leave the place they know so well, but everyone needs a change.

Senior Nicole Ferone feels differently. “I am excited to move on to bigger and better things, but I also want to stay in high school. I want to be a part of the welcoming environment that is Bethpage. A plus side to my college search is that all of my schools happen to be “Bethpage sequels” so I will always have someone from home if I need them.”  

It seems that many Bethpage students are afraid to leave the “bubble”, they do not want to start new and do not want to leave behind the friendships and relationships they have known their entire lives. Rishi Sohi said, “It’s a really stressful time in our lives and a lot of us aren’t willing to leave behind the memories we’ve made, even though it is inevitable.”

Another agreeing student, Tim Varley, spoke about how he knew where he was going to go to school for a while, but, “…that doesn’t make moving on any easier.”

Erin Colon has mixed emotions on her upcoming graduation. “I’m excited to start new, but leaving my friends for months at a time is scary, especially when I am so used to being with them every day.”

I, on the other hand, chose a school that no one from home really knows about. A few people have heard of Susquehanna, but I didn’t have to worry about going to school with anyone that I knew. In my opinion, college is a place to start out fresh, and I didn’t want to know anyone going to my new school, so I could start with a clean slate. Sure, I’ll become homesick and miss my friends, but it’s a life lesson we all have to learn.
No matter how you feel about moving on, we all have to do it at some point. It is definitely better to start now than later. Some people are afraid of change, but once you start, you’ll be happy you did.