The majority of my senior year of college has been spent in a state of dreadful denial. Being unsure of what I want to do with my life, I find myself wishing I could pull a “Van Wilder” and just stay at college forever. Alas, there are at least two painful truths I have to face with this way of thinking. One, this isn’t a movie, and two, I’m no Ryan Reynolds. That being said, I recently had an important realization about this stage of my life as I inch closer and closer to May 14. That realization was that graduating college is by no means an event I should dread. Rather, I need to look at this for what it is: a crowning achievement.

For pretty much my whole life, school has been a major part of who I am. Everything has been scheduled around classes and breaks, homework has (for the most part) taken precedent before the fun things I want to do, and the capital letters I receive at the end of the semester determine everything from my demeanor to my level of freedom. It will undoubtedly be an immense adjustment leaving all of that behind, but with this adjustment comes an overwhelming sense of pride.

It’s all too easy to succumb to the worry that is post-grad life and forget that, above anything else in our lives right now, we’ve made it. All of the sleepless nights spent flipping through notes and flash-cards, all of the time spent staring a hole into a page of what looks like gibberish; we’ve made it through. Whether you’re the next in a long line of graduates or the first in your family, crossing that stage and saying farewell to your academic career is something that warrants a smile so big it hurts your face.

Smile back on all your frustration. Smile back on all that stress that felt like it was going to crush you. Smile back on the friendships you’ve forged, whether or not they still remain. Smile back on all the teachers who took the time to make sure you understand, learn, and succeed. Most importantly, smile back on the person you used to be and how much you’ve grown since then. It may not feel like it in the moment, but college is, if nothing else, a chrysalis. We all went in fresh-faced and somewhat naïve, and now we’re on the verge of emerging far wiser and more mature than ever before. There’s no need to fear coming closer to becoming the best versions of ourselves.

Yes, it is scary to stare down the barrel of the real world. It’s scary to take on all new responsibilities and see yourself as an adult. However, that fear is just a part of the ride. Leaving college and embarking on the rest of our lives means dragging this fear along with us and being our best selves regardless. We’ll find our careers, we’ll find happiness, and we’ll find our ways. Forgive me for the cliché, but graduating from college is really the ending of one chapter and the beginning of a new, even bigger one.

I know I could be overdramatizing this subject, but I find it hard to believe I’m the only one feeling this way. If this puts even one of my peers at ease about graduating into the real world, then I’ll be pleased.

To the Class of 2016: Cheers! We’re going to be fine.

Just in case you need a little more convincing, here’s a little theme song to drive my message home: