the world doesn’t end when you’re seventeen

02.04.2024

As a teenage girl who’s struggled with social anxiety and insecurity since middle school, my biggest hope in the world was to have the best high school experience ever. To have all the friends I could have, the boyfriend of my dreams, and go out every weekend. I’m even guilty of imagining winning prom queen once or twice, but who hasn’t? 

Some girls get that life, some don’t. Sometimes, it feels like the universe has favorites. As if the teenage girl's experience falls into the laps of the prettiest and most confident people ⎯ the best of the best. It seems so easy for them to just have it, all the while I spent my teenage years hoping one day I’ll get out of my little bubble and have that life too.

I graduated high school last summer. Needless to say, I didn’t get the life with endless friend groups and parties and fun. I didn’t take millions of pictures in my prom dress or graduation gown with everyone I knew. I didn’t throw my cap in the air and feel a rush of adrenaline in my body (it was kind of anticlimactic). I was proud of myself for making it that far, but I was disappointed that my longtime dream never came true.

During that same summer, I attended some college classes to get ahead of my studies. I spent those two months going to lectures and adjusting to my new life. I then began my first fall semester at my local community college. Everything was going well, but I missed high school solely because of the people and routine I once knew and had in my life.

On the last day of being a seventeen-year-old girl, I reflected on the past year. Was it horrible? No, it was actually the most eventful year I’ve had in my life; one that I’ll be eternally grateful for. But it wasn’t ideal. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that I was leaving my teenage years behind but it just didn’t feel real. It didn’t feel like life could go on after I was seventeen. I mean, I wasn’t even done being seventeen yet so how could I be anything else? 

I couldn’t control time though, so when my 18th birthday finally came around I anticipated some change ⎯ but there wasn’t. It was weird that I had all of these adult perks now but it wasn’t a life-changing experience. All I knew was that I finally had to put my big girl pants on and focus on my future. By the end of the fall, I was employed and developed a constant to-do list. As months passed, I realized that I didn’t really miss high school anymore. That it happened, a done deal, and I moved on to the next chapter of my life. 

I actually love college and the freedom that comes with it. I love being able to pick how many classes I get to have in my schedule, what times I have them, what to take, and determining how that fits into my major. I don’t have high school lunch as my only food option and if you pick the right ones, the professors can be amazing. I have the rare three-day weekend as my norm and I meet new people every semester as opposed to the peers I’ve known since elementary school.

Life after seventeen continues. In my opinion, it’s even more exciting than the high school experience and I’m sure many other graduates would agree. There are so many opportunities and decisions to make when you’re eighteen. So many life paths you can go down, like getting your bachelor’s degree or opening up your own business. Whatever it is, I can guarantee it’s better than being stuck under the freezing air vent in your Algebra 2 classroom.

The world doesn’t end when you’re seventeen, it just feels much scarier ⎯ and that’s okay.

⎯ Jasmine ୨୧