Are you ready for the real world
Print Edition
DOES graduation mean you’re ready for the real world? Certainly, high school graduation is an important milestone in the life of any young person. It marks the end of one important time of life and is a tangible sign you are ready for university. But does it mean that you are ready for the real world?
Almost any adult would tell you that he or she only began to learn about the world, and about his or her place in it, after high school.
While high school may prepare you academically, you will soon find yourself facing a steep learning curve. So how can you prepare yourself to face some of these challenges that you are racing toward in a few short months?
I’d like to offer some advice as you leave high school, whether to university, to the military, or to a gap year.
1. Remember where you came from. Remember who has impacted your childhood — your parents, other family members, maybe a childhood ayi. Consider the influence of your friends of the past 18 years and the places they have come from. How about teachers who have poured their lives into you since kindergarten? And there are the cultures you have lived in — yes, the impact of Shanghai itself has molded you. Your travel experiences. Mistakes you have made, lessons you have learned. These people, these relationships, these events are the bricks and mortar of who you are today.
2. Remember who you are today. Hold fast to these values and attitudes learned over the past 18 years. The definition of character is how you act when no one is watching. Grow in character, develop in integrity. Remember that a good reputation takes years to build, but only moments to destroy. Treat it gently, and guard it carefully.
3. Remember who you can be. Have the courage to live your dreams. Lean on your past; embrace your present; but look forward with courage, with ambition, with confidence, and with hope as you leave high school. Set high standards; set lofty goals. Seek more than money; seek to positively impact the world in some small or large way.
A good way to guard one’s self, and to truly be “ready” for college and the real world is to develop internal strength through thoughtful consideration of the three points above.
So, does graduation mean you are ready for the real world? No, not in itself. But with a solid education behind you and a secure sense of who you are and what you stand for, as well as a vision of a bright future ahead and a plan to get there — yes, you will be prepared. There will be bumps; there will be surprises. But you will master them, grow and learn, and truly become the adult you always wanted to be.
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