To a New Dawn: Letters of Solidarity Anthology

NINA MOELLER, 25 Dear pupils and recent school graduates, I wanted to start this letter by writing about the immense pressure that comes with being in your final year and finishing school. But much more important is starting with this: it is going to be okay! You are going to be fine! I know, that’s easy to say. And yes, even though it is easy to say, it doesn’t mean that things are tough until they work out fine.

But trust me, you will be fine. Just hang in there.

This was a very troubled summer to finish school. Did you get asked a lot about what you want to do after school? Or did you not get to do what you wanted because of the exam results fiasco? Or because your travel plans were destroyed?

My sister is in her final year now as well, and when we speak about school I remember all the pressure that mounted on us from every side. Did you study enough?

This is going to be hard, so brace yourself! What are you going to do after school? Where have you applied? I very vividly remember being in the same situation. Everybody made it sound like it was the most important decision in life, the thing that would define the course of your working years up until your retirement.

And this, from my own experience, is simply wrong.

Whatever happens now will not define you. You can change 78