The summer after junior year of college is great, even magical. You have most likely turned legal to drink and have gotten that tingly feeling walking into the liquor store with full confidence, because for the first time you don’t have to worry if your fake ID is going to cut it. If you’re the overachieving type you just might have an internship which means no day trips to the beach, but I heard happy hour is pretty much in job descriptions at most internships nowadays...so you’re still able to fit in drinking time. While the summer is most people’s happy time, all good things must come to an end and once August hits, here comes the huge punch in the face: the realization that graduation and eventually adulthood, is coming for us all.
So, when you finally experience this realization and the panic that comes with it, this is how to survive it. Here’s a true bitchy girl's advice on how to get through that pre-graduation depression.
Take a deep breath, take a shot and get your shit together. Eventually, we all have to grow up and become useful members of society- sad, but true. Our time of walk-of-shaming, eating pizza for every meal and laying on the couch during intense hangovers must soon evolve into taxis of shame, starving because we're too poor for ramen noodles and hiding from the boss in the break room during intense hangovers. Mentally prepare yourself now for this transition.
Make sure your underpaid, unenthusiastic advisor actually has you set to graduate. There are few situations in this world more awkward than walking into your senior year of college to be told by some office potato that you aren’t actually graduating on time because you’re behind on classes. Honestly, you probably should have asked that question your junior year- but who actually thinks about graduation junior year.
Plan lots of cool things to do with your friends. Separation anxiety, FOMO, depression are all signs of post-graduation- stress-disorder. In order to combat these symptoms, one must fit as many cool-ass activities into the next ten months as physically and financially possible. Go to as many away football games as possible, go to all the sorority events your calendar can handle, get as involved in your school community as you can because as corny as it sounds, you will miss this shit.
Do one (or a hundred) crazy, totally out of character things that will make this year one you literally can't forget. Get a tattoo on your butt cheek, jump out of an airplane (with a parachute, of course), bungee jump, travel to a foreign country, kiss one too many boys - I truly do not care what it is. Make a point to do something totally crazy because this is the last time in our lives where we can make questionable, life-altering decisions without too much backlash, except maybe from our moms because let's be real, moms are nosy little brats.
Thank your parents! If it weren’t for the fact that they are the scientific reason for your existence, odds are they have spent the past 20+ years of their life making sure you have the greatest life possible. They have willingly given us their hard-earned money to fuel our desire for food, clothing, alcohol, etc. They loved us through the terrible twos, awkward middle school phase and if you’re anything like me, the even more terrible two-twenty-year-old phase. Through all the good, bad, ugly and uglier our parents are the reason we are who we are. And because of their support we're able to enter the adult world…ready or not!
Senior year is scary, overwhelming, exciting, sad, happy - every single emotion one can think of. But I think we're ready, and even if we aren’t, we're a generation who can figure it out. We'll be fine living the adult life, as long as wine and pizza are still involved.
