5 Things That Make The Summer After High School Awkward AF

Yay! You graduated! You’re an adult... or are you? The summer after graduation is pretty awkward as you try to embrace adulthood and figure out the rest of your life. No pressure. Here are 5 things every newly graduated senior can relate to.

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1. Your curfew feels awkward

Do I really need a curfew? For the three months between graduating high school and leaving for college, do my parents have any say over what I do? I mean, my curfew used to be 12, but if in three months I’ll have virtually unlimited freedom, what do I do for the time in between?

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2. Your parents stop paying for stuff

I recently went grocery shopping for the first time, and I asked my dad to pay me back... He still hasn’t. It’s awkward to want freedom but still rely on my parents to pay me back for the $14.37 I spent on kale and kombucha. But seriously, since when did people decide that a high school diploma comes with a newfound sense of finances?

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3. Adults expect you to actually do stuff for them

I mean, yeah, I could balance cheerleading, debate team, homework, and work in high school, but all of a sudden it’s up to me to pick up my brother, go to the pharmacy, and make my own doctor's appointments? Who decided that? I’m still too young to be doing all that. I don't even know how to call my doctor. Those are adult things. And I’m not an adult. Yet.

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4. You have an unreasonable amount of free time

Like, what do I even do this summer? Do I keep that school grind going, participate in activities, and plan how to incorporate extracurriculars them into my college life -- or do I take a well-deserved break after four years of hell and sit on the couch in my PJs until 4 p.m. eating chips and binge watching On My Block?

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5. You still think like a child

Incredibles 2 comes out June 15. So as a recently graduated high school senior, am I throwing all my maturity out the window to stand in front of all the 8 year-olds in line to get the best seats in the theater? Obviously.

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You can choose to spend this weird time of your life however you want. Appreciate the time when you're filled with freedom but still have support (especially financial) from your parents. It may be the only time in your life to actually relax. High school is over. College is starting soon. Take a breath before jumping into it. But maybe learning how to make a doctor's appointment on your own has some benefit.