To the high school graduates of 2020, as a University of Mobile 2020 college graduate, I understand what you are going through. This is a tough time for all of us approaching the end of a season.
I know your prom, sports and other activities have been cancelled because of this crazy virus and that you are disappointed. But there is still so much more to come for you in the future!
If you have decided to go to college, that is right around the corner! For me, the University of Mobile was a new starting point, a place to make friends who would become like family. There will be more ahead, so don’t let this time of craziness get you down.
Begin planning for those new adventures to come at your school. When I started at UM, I had no idea what to expect or how much I would come to love the school and its people. Not only have I made wonderful friends through my peers, but I’ve also found friendship and mentors in my professors. I want to encourage you to look forward to the future! It will bring all new experiences and memories.
For now, take the time to make memories with your family and love on them. I know they can be annoying at times, but hey – that’s family. You will be going off to college in a few short months (if that is the path you have chosen to take) and eventually you will begin to miss those crazy siblings of yours. So, make the most of this quarantine! Play board games and watch movies with your fam and enjoy these days at home.
Are you beginning to miss your friends yet? Guess what! We have this crazy thing called technology – use it! FaceTime your friends and spend time talking with them. Don’t think that just because you are stuck at home you cannot see them and catch up on quarantine-life! While you may not be able to go out to the movies or a restaurant together, you can spend time with them.
Now is the time! Get creative with how you bond with those around you and those not so close by. Learning to continue your relationships with your friends from a distance now, will actually prepare you for college. You can go ahead and start discovering ways to keep up with one another even when you don’t see each other every day at school.
Remember this – everything comes and goes; it is up to us to choose what we make of it. You can make this corona-cation what you want! So, let’s choose together to make it a time of joy and not a time of sorrow. Be safe, wash your hands, and have some fun!
One more thing – the University of Mobile is offering some really neat benefits for 2020 Freshman to get ahead of the game. Go check these out at umobile.edu/freshman2020.
Maggie Jones is a senior at the University of Mobile majoring in communication and minoring in music. She is a student ambassador as well as an intern for the university’s Office for Marketing and Public Relations. Maggie enjoys kayaking, watching movies and going on impromptu adventures around Mobile with friends.