Hey, you there. The graduating senior with their head in the clouds, or maybe stuck in the ground like a terrified ostrich.
There are two kinds of people.
That aside – we all have one thing in common: thinking that graduating is horrifying, but exciting, even though it makes your nauseous and mentally unstable. Here at High Point University, we have 46 short (or long – again, there are two kinds of people), days until the BIG day.
But no matter how many days you have left at your college, I'm here to tell you that you're not alone, and in the midst of all this ambiguity, there are still MANY positive thoughts to be had. So, with the help of some fellow graduating seniors from across the country, here are 46 positive thoughts I know you need to hear right now.
1. Just because you're graduating and have a degree doesn't mean you have to have your life together. It's ok to let yourself not know.
-- Brooke Clemons, Concord University
2. Graduating really means you're one step closer to owning your own dog.
-- Emily Luciano, High Point University
3. You're not the same person you were when you started four years ago, and that's okay.
-- Meg Thomson, High Point University
4. You'll get the job, you'll still hope for snow days, adulting is overrated, and even in your dream city, you'll miss home so much.
-- Delaney Crampton, High Point University
5. You're not the only one who doesn't know exactly who they want to be!
-- Ali Fonseca, Merrimack College
6. Just because you're $100k in debt doesn't mean you can't achieve your dreams.
-- Justyna Staccio, Siena College
7. It's comforting knowing that no one, from your grandparents to your younger siblings, knows what the future holds. You don't have to know the future either.
-- Angel Arciva, University of Texas at San Antonio
8. Rejection letters are a part of life. Shake it off, have a plan B (and possibly C and D), have a drink with your friends, and never give up. You'll figure it out.
-- Lexi Mourier, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
9. You can move home to save money, AKA not be as broke as a joke anymore.
-- Mallory Janszen, High Point University
10. You can finally say "I'm done with this B.S." and mean it.
-- Tina Tran, Worcester State University
11. Don't get discouraged if you still haven't gotten a job offer. My professors told me they applied to over a hundred jobs before they even got an interview.
-- Regen Stahl, Adrian College
12. It's okay to say no. Don't take a job just for the sake of having a job-- it will make you ridiculously unhappy in the long run.
-- Natalie Singleton, High Point University
13. Three words: No. More. Homework.
-- Dana Pusateri, High Point University
14. You are enough! AKA, employers do want you!
-- Marisa Poolos, High Point University
15. I know you feel like you're drowning right now, but it will all be worth it.
-- Allie Wass, Kendall College of Art and Design
16. Have fun, work hard, be a good person and good things will come your way. Not everyone is on the same timeline. Enjoy where you are right now and be excited for what's ahead!
-- Maura O'Brien, High Point University
17. Never judge your path by anyone else's! I'm 25 and went from being a horse trainer to computer programming 6 months ago.
-- Jennifer Heiskell, Columbia Southern University
18. Graduating college is like being a Freshman in the real world—more independence, new experiences and life expectations—it can be rough, but it only gets better with time.
-- Andrea Tishman, High Point University
19. Now you have the opportunity to see the world.
-- Cayla Guzewski, High Point University
20. I tell myself my future puppy will thank me and all this will be worth it.
-- Debbie Mergner, High Point University
21. Whether you're graduating with a degree in dance or biochemistry, you're graduating from college with a degree in your hand, and no one can take that away from you.
-- James Austin Porzenski, High Point University
22. Plans always change, nothing is set in stone, and that's okay. If you want to achieve your dreams, nothing is going to get in the way of that.
-- Kendra Weikle, West Virginia University
23. You're one year closer to retirement!
-- Jessica Yaeger, University of Iowa
24. Don't let worry of tomorrow impact your joy today.
-- Lily Moe, Grand Canyon University
25. You did a great job getting out of bed this morning considering the state of the world.
-- Jacob Merinar, Drexel University
26. Live your life like your doing a keg stand, you may fall but you can always get back up.
-- Chelsea Faris, Davis and Elkins College
27. You're not going to know what your dream job is until you actually start working.
-- Michael Keener, High Point University
28. Forget that timeline you think you're supposed to be on. You'll graduate, get a job, and move out of your parent's house. Just give it time. Progress is progress, whether you're 21, 25, or 32.
-- Elizabeth England, High Point University
29. Don't be worried if your college years weren't the "best years of your life," because your life has hardly even started yet.
-- Hailey Loftis, Wofford College
30. You finally have time to nap.
-- Jess Freda, SUNY Buffalo State
31. They say college is supposed to be the best years of your life, but you've got so much life left to live! Make those the best, too.
-- Rebekah Varin, Southern New Hampshire University
32. Those friends you miss? The ones you spent every weekend with? They are just a phone call away, and yes they miss you too.
-- Steven Edwards, High Point University
33. You're not the only one who has no idea what you're doing.
-- Nicole Foreman, High Point University
34. Life's an adventure. You always have to be willing to take risks and get out of your comfort zone.
-- Rebecca Dornan, High Point University
35. It's okay to take chances and make changes in your field or career! Challenge yourself!
-- Taylor Burd, Fairmont State University
36. You CAN do this.
-- Taylor Tedford, High Point University
37. No more finals or midterms. No more having to split your life between a million different things. You're responsible for your future.
-- Byron Abrigg, St. Louis University
38. Let loose and make the best of the whole graduation experience!
-- Dani Miller, High Point University
39. No more multiple napping because your 7:50 am class was miserably early.
-- Ashley Voner, High Point University
40. Know what matters to you versus what others think should matter to you. Take this time to try and understand yourself, and know that everyone else is trying to do the same thing.
-- Kings Floyd, High Point University
41. Be intentional about the time you have left. You don't have to do everything, only do the things that will make you happiest with the people who make you happiest.
-- Erica Rego, University of Florida
42. There's at least one other person out there who also doesn't know what to do after graduation and is also panicking about money (e.g. me).
-- Jackie Rocheleau, Boston University
43. Now is the time to make your own decisions and follow your own unique path. Now you have the opportunity to really start living.
-- Lauren Mordini, High Point University
44. You're going to be successful one day. You don't have to have your life figured out now. You have time. For now, just live in the moment.
-- Alexandra Wolf, Merrimack College
45. The worth of your work will never be constituted by the A-F scale ever again and I think that's beautiful.
-- Mollie McKinley, High Point University
And lastly, my favorite:
46. Embrace the ambiguity of life and laugh a lot along the way. We'll never know exactly what'll happen in life, so what's the point of trying so hard to chase the impossible? Instead, live your life to the best of your ability and when necessary, yell, "Plot twist!" and keep trekking on! Because I swear, THAT is when you find the boy, get the job, or see the best unexpected sunset.
-- Haley Carroll, Ball State University
We are all wise in our own, creative way-- that's for sure. Thank you all for being there, and thanks for understanding. We'll all make it out alive.
I'm positive.
Congratulations to all Classes of 2017!
