Ever since us humans can remember, we've always known the next phase of life or next step that was coming. We knew that Kindergarten led to first grade, and we knew that middle school prepared us for high school, and then for college. It has always been a natural instinct, or simply just the norm where we do not even realize what is happening before us. College is an exciting time to be on your own, and it is a time to find out who you truly are deep down.
It is always in the back of our mind that after college, we will be handling the stress with bills when we finally get our first house. It is not something that you think is going to happen so fast because you feel like you have a good four years until then. After your Freshman year, it feels like all of your hard work, your late nights up studying and wanting to pull your hair out have finally paid off.
We have always known what is to come next. We have always been prepared for the next step. College is supposed to prepare you for your career. The college tuition you paid for had better pay off in the long run. This is the first time that it really is the most serious when someone asks you what you are going to do after college; this is the final stretch.
If you are about to graduate from college, or you have recently, I am sure that you can relate to all of the emotions that are common right before you walk and receive your diploma.
1. "I am so ready to get out of this place"
Let's face it, it has been a great four years, but you are ready to move on with your life. Some people may have never felt this way, but by senior year, you've matured. Your priorities aren't the same as they were years ago, and you are happy with the person you are becoming.
2. You realize how much you are going to miss this place
Today you are so ready to get out of this place and tomorrow you scroll through your photo album on Facebook and reflect back on all your favorite memories. You begin to see how fast your last semester is flying by.
3. There needs to be a pause button on the time
Every year flies by faster and faster. Your last semester is when you may be experiencing some mixed emotions, while you are trying to finish strong your last semester. The time is just winding down so fast that you feel like you are just going through the motions.
4. The thought of being distant from friends
In high school, some of your friends may have gone farther away than others, but it is only a matter of four years of college, and you still see each other over breaks. That in between phase is approaching where you are going to be starting a life together with your significant other when you meet the right one. After college though, your best friends may be living in different states. Sometimes we forget how easy it is to be able to walk down the hall to your roommates, or always have someone around to hangout with.
5. The fear of being unsuccessful
I think that almost everyone in their lifetime has worried and stressed about the future. Money doesn't grow on trees, and the world is an expensive one in which we live. It makes us human when we get nervous about the future, or worrying about not succeeding. The key to remember is that you can never truly fail. Every life experience is a lesson learned. What our society sees sometimes as "failing," just remember that there is no such thing. It is about rising above the obstacle and trying even harder next time.
6. I am so THANKFUL for the experience that I have had in my undergraduate career
Sometimes we have to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly when we reach different milestones in our lives. College is such an amazing and rewarding time and experience. I think we all realize that we've learned more about ourselves over the years than we even thought was possible. It is a time to better you, to test you, and to take all of your memories with you and walk confidently into the future.
