What makes a clichéd farewell letter?
ChatGPT says:
I really wanted to make this article not sound cliché. Yet, no matter how hard I tried to avoid the five criteria listed up there, it started to meet all of them. So everyone, buckle up and get ready to be bored. Here is my clichéd farewell letter.
First and foremost, my college experience would not have been the same without the people. I appreciate my wonderful friends who made my days less depressing — I really would have experienced some form of major crisis without you guys. This may be a less popular opinion, but I was fortunate enough to have so many amazing professors, too. I will never forget that one professor who held my hands and told me to never lose sleep for her course. I couldn’t tell her then that it wasn’t her course that made me sleep-deprived (I actually skipped her class readings often), but her warmth made my day.
Talking about sleep deficiency, I will never forget laying out The News-Letter papers for print past midnight. Wait, this may actually belong to negative memories which don’t belong here... But, to be fair, there were many more good memories than bad in our beloved Gatehouse. My Monday evenings were always reserved for The News-Letter — since I was a staff writer, then News and Features Editor and, finally, Managing Editor. Not to mention that I met incredible people there, too. #chiefs-managing-24 was the best team I could ask for, and I loved working with our fantastic editors. Gatehouse, you will truly be missed. Slack notifications, maybe not as much.
Another place where my core college memories took place is my lab. I really cannot say enough to express how grateful I am for the opportunities I had. Before joining this lab, I had never imagined myself going into research; now, I cannot see myself going anywhere other than research. Though the JHMI rides to the hospital were horrible, it was always worth it. I am very sad to leave and very, very jealous of whoever will be joining the team.
Now, time for “a vague mention of the future.” I am a naturally future-oriented person, so I spent most of my time at Hopkins trying to figure out what I will do next: next day, next week, then next semester. The ironic thing is that, despite all that effort, it took me so long to figure out my next steps after graduation (ugh, the feeling of unemployment!). I am nervous but excited to venture into what lies next.
Fourth is contact details – do I want to share this with 1,500 seniors? Let’s connect on LinkedIn.
Most importantly, the generic send-off. I was so lost in my job search that I didn’t realize that moving on to something new means that I have to leave behind what I have right now. The thought hit me at a really random moment: when I was flying to Copenhagen for my spring break trip and started sobbing in the aircraft. Like, actual sobbing. Fortunately, it was an overnight flight, so everyone was sleeping. Imagine how bad this could have been if I chose to fly at 3 p.m.
Anyway, my point is that all lasts are accompanied by firsts. Goodbyes must be said when the time comes, even if we are not prepared, and it can be heartbreaking. But always remember to turn around and notice all the exciting things that lie ahead — whether that be the first day of work, first move to a new state or first reunion with our stitched-back-together hearts. Until then, whenever I am reminded of my time here, I will look back at this letter and remember how I felt writing the clichéd farewell.
I wish everyone the best of luck in all the great things you will accomplish. Goodbye, Hopkins.
Warmly,
Aimee
Aimee Cho is from Seoul, South Korea and is graduating with a degree in Psychology. She is a former Managing Editor and News & Features Editor for The News-Letter.