It didn't end with an acceptance letter in the mail. That was the highlight of the high school to college transition, but it wasn't the finish line, far from it. In this essay, the author describes his feelings on transitioning from high school to college. He finally sees that the process is worse than he thought. Because it's not another step in his life, it's a new life. It's a start without people who are going to say no, without parents who are going to cook and clothe him, without most of the friends he sees so often, and that's the hardest thing to accept, but a fresh feeling of freedom when the discomfort settles.