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Could Graduating be any more bitter sweet?

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about college. I get to register for my classes on Wednesday, so I have been really looking into the various courses and doing some research on ratemyprofessors.com. As I scrolled through the various course options, I realized how much is going to be available to me there. The possibilities are truly endless! It is so scary and SO exciting at the same time!  I think the classes I'm most looking forward to are choir (OF COURSE) and Book of Mormon. I absolutely love reading the Book of Mormon, and have set a goal for myself to read it again this summer and complete President Wheatley's yearly challenge. This time though, I am trying to get even more out of it. I am going to keep a journal as I read, with my thoughts and reflections. I'm sure detailed notes will be VERY helpful in my course! I have done a lot of research on the college life in Provo, and there's just so much to do! I really want to Hike the Y like the day I get there! I can't wait to get involved with music groups, attend my student ward, and make so many new friends and memories! In addition, I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to learn about subjects that I am interested in, but just haven't been able to pursue in high school. I have always been interested in psychology, and plan on taking a child psychology course at some point! I have also always had a secret dream of being a ballerina, so I plan on taking a beginner's dance class! Finally, I want to take piano lessons again. I LOVE to play, but just haven't had time during high school! I'm realizing that the world is mine to explore, and the thought of it just makes me want to burst with excitement!!

This excitement has not stopped me from having a few sad feelings about leaving high school, however. I have some wonderful friends that I'm really going to miss! I was hanging out with my friends Christine and Hannah after school today, and we were talking about the things we were and were not going to miss about high school. Things we won't miss include: AP exams, crazy teachers, MATH (I at least don't have to take math ever again), short bathroom stalls and lack of paper towels, rules that make no sense, so many class requirements, not enough electives, and so on! The things we will miss are few and far between, but they do exist! The first thing we said was each other. We are all going to different colleges: Christine's headed off to Longwood University, Hannah's going to Shenandoah Conservatory, and I'll be on the other side of the country at BYU. It's hard to imagine school without them. I'm so thankful for modern technology! Even though it is (almost) time to move on, we are still going to be able to stay in touch so easily! We're of course going to miss choir. Right now though, it just feels like choir's over. We walked into the choir room before leaving school today to get some stuff really quickly. When we walked out, we turned to each other and all realized at the same time that it felt as if we were just visiting. The place that has been my home away from home for four years all of a sudden isn't MY home anymore. It belongs to a whole new group of underclassmen. That has been the one thing about leaving high school that I have found somewhat difficult. I know that in a very short amount of time that will pass though. One door is closing, but another is wide open!
All in all, I am so excited to embark on a new journey! I know it won't always be easy, but as Mrs. Van Slyke recently told me, college is the one time in your life when everything's all about YOU. I get to discover who I am, who I want to become, and the direction that my future should take. It's exciting and it's terrifying. Walking across that stage on Friday will mark the end of one journey and a fresh start on a new one!

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