No, College isn't easy by any means. At the beginning of it all it feels like the experience is never going to end. Well guess what, the whole experience came and went so fast that I am still here waiting for someone to tell me that I actually have 10 more years of school left or something. Sitting here thinking about my upcoming senior year of undergrad, it feels like I am the one standing still and the finish line is doing a full on sprint towards me.
Is it just me or when we were all in grade school, the school years felt like they lasted an eternity? I for one, felt like I was crawling through the years just hoping that summer would come soon. Now I am struggling to hold on and cherish all of these moments throughout college whether they are embarrassing, funny, or happy. The reason why I think college flies by is because it is the school we picked to go to. We are at our colleges because we want to be.
Well guess what, the last year of school is coming and it isn't slowing down. So, here are some thoughts that most, if not all, rising college seniors have within their last years of undergrad.
1. "I'm not ready to enter the real world." All I have done in life for the past 21 years is go to school. Sure there may be jobs here and there but I have never experienced working and living without school as a common factor.
2. "What am I doing with my life after this?" Sure, we have our majors and possibly some work experience in the field that interests us, but is that really what we are going to do for the rest of our life? Thats kind of a big thought to wrap our heads around.
3. "Is it really not acceptable to wear my pjs to work?" We roll out of bed and wear them to our classes all the time, why cant the real world be the same way? I'm sure they all did it too in their college years...
4. "Can I just skip work like I skip class?" Yes, college students always run into those days (some more than others) where we just cannot handle school. So we don't. Though the trend has been around way longer then the song, I'd like to throw some of the blame towards Mr. Bruno Mars' "The Lazy Song." We have a personal day to ourselves and watch Netflix accompanied by multitudes of junk food. Guess what, that won't be a thing anymore because your pay depends on you actually going to work.
5. "How the heck am I supposed to prepare for grad school? I don't even know what I am doing now." Ah graduate school, the place where about 60% of college students come back to spend time for a few years longer. You would assume it isn't that bad because well, you already made it through undergraduate. However, when you look at all the deadlines, requirements, and prices, it's like you're a senior in high school running around like a chicken with its head chopped off again.
6. "Is it too late to change my major?" When rising seniors reach the last leg of their journey, its like some kind of weird plague hits them and they reevaluate their life decisions. One of the most common reevaluations is to their major. Is it too hard? Too easy? Not what you want to do? well.. you better figure it out quickly.
7. "Is all this debt going to make me homeless?" American colleges are so very expensive and so many students have to take out and pay back loans. The stress often revolves around finding a sustainable job right out of college so you can begin your next million years of service to pay it all back without going homeless.
8. "I quit, I can't adult." No, the real world isn't anything like the fairy tale of college. The real world doesn't give many instructions or free alcohol, you just have to learn by trial and error. So good luck.
Nothing about college is easy; applying to get there, trying to keep your head above water while balancing school, social life, sleep, and work. But, the hardest part of all is the thought of leaving the place you have called home for the past 4 years. Good luck with the final year of undergraduate to all of the rising seniors out there!
