So you've been out of school for at least a year. You're finally done with papers and stress-inducing deadlines (unless you're in grad school, in which case, best of luck to you). You've been adulting full-time for a while now. Everything's great, right?
OK, so everything might not be perfect, but hey, you made it this far. That's an accomplishment in itself.
This past weekend, I went back to my Alma Mater to watch this year's graduation and to congratulate some friends. It felt good to be back on campus. However, a flood of emotions watched over me once everyone had received their degrees. I felt a mix of nostalgia, sadness, pride and, strangely enough, anxiety. It seems so surreal that I took that walk a little over a year ago. Like, where has the time gone?
When I reflect on my undergrad years, I cherish them as four of the best in my life. They weren't perfect by any means, but they were amazing. It's great to know what you've accomplished and to remember that your hard work didn't go to waste. Granted, I'm not totally where I want to be in life, but I'm far enough to realize that I've come a long way, and so has everyone else that's graduated.
Life has a habit of taking many twists and turns. As undergrad students, we're told to have a plan and to get a job within our major, so it's a little discouraging when that doesn't happen. However, it's not the end of the world. You just have to learn to roll with the punches and keep moving forward no matter what.
Even though we've graduated, life has become our classroom. We'll be tested at random. We'll continue to learn. We'll find groups we can be a part of and make new friends. We'll still have stress-inducing deadlines every now and then. But you know what? We'll make it.
Unfortunately, there's no textbook for adulting (but given the prices of college textbooks, maybe that's a blessing in disguise). Fortunately, there's no one right way to adult. What works for you won't work for others, and that's OK. Just keep learning. Keep growing. Keep loving. Years down the road, you'll reflect on this moment and realize yet again how far you've come, and you'll realize that while life can be a hellish roller coaster at times, the ride's worth it if you stick it out.
