Image by xMizLitx via Flickr
By Heather Wilkins | Contributing Writer
opinion@fiusm.com
If you graduated in the year 2012, we expected an apocalypse to make sure you didn’t have to continue your education and go to college for your degree. Obviously, the world didn’t end so all the high school graduates of 2012 will go to their first five year reunions in 2017, the year after they are expected to graduate from college.
Sometimes reunions are known to be the best of times, for others it will make them relive the worst of times. High school pranks on the principal or students, the beginning to understand how dating works and worrying about whether or not you cool enough to be considered “popular” are some of the things most people will often remember at these events.
Even though there are some people who feel that they land on the smaller side of the social importance scale, it doesn’t mean that the friendships you made during your time there didn’t happen.
Reunions are one of the many ways for people to get in touch with one another or to simply revisit a memory. Another possibility is that you can reconnect and learn what it was like for others who went to school with you and what has happened to them in five years. It might shed some light on those tough years by talking about it with someone who went through similar experiences.
There is nothing quite as interesting as someone showing up with a college boyfriend or an engagement ring on their finger, so it doesn’t take much to strike up a conversation especially when most of your class might have reached amazing milestones.
If anyone plans on going to their five year reunion, the first piece of advice is to be nice and polite. Say hello before you immediately ask, “what are you doing after high school now?” the minute you first meet someone.
The second piece of advice is to truthfully say where you stand currently or presently within the given amount of time. If you say you’re a college grad, then they will know that you are just trying to get on your feet and into the world before getting acquainted with income tax and other legalities.
The third piece of advice is whether or not you want to even make a reservation to go ahead and see your old high school friends.
However, for those who wish to not go to their reunion, you won’t be missing much. We’re so connected through social media that we can be relatively up to date with the lives of others. To some, high school was just four years they needed to survive and if you personally do not wish to relive those don’t go. Stay home and watch Netflix , go out to dinner with someone special or just live in the moment. Who needs old memories when there’s always a chance to make new ones?
However, the good thing about reunions is that they only happen every five years. The first five is where you currently stand right now after high school; the next ten to fifteen are what happens after college: jobs, marriage, moves, children, etc. It gives us an opportunity to look at ourselves and either be proud with where we stand or realize that there is room for improvement.
Sometimes people change after school, maybe they don’t so it’s important to realize that the same could be true for you. Whenever you decide whether to go to one of these things, just keep in mind that the bad memories can always be forgiven and to make these events a learning experience.
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