To Recent And Not-So-Recent Graduates | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

To Recent And Not-So-Recent Graduates

Learning to adult can be overwhelming at times, but it's worth it.

25
To Recent And Not-So-Recent Graduates
Publish.illinois.edu.

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.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

2153
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

301453
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments