To All My Fellow Graduating Seniors, I'm Stressed, Too
Start writing a post
Student Life

To All My Fellow Graduating Seniors, I'm Stressed, Too

Things are going to change, and from where I’m sitting, that’s a scary thought.

252
To All My Fellow Graduating Seniors, I'm Stressed, Too
Alexandria Poteet

I’m pretty stressed.


It’s almost the end of my college career, and that means a few things.

1. I will leave my university permanently in one week.

I return only to graduate and retrieve the rest of my things from my apartment.

2. I will no longer have homework for the rest of forever.

This is somehow liberating and simultaneously frightening because this was my entire life for seventeen years, not counting daycare and preschool learning.

3. I have to go to work for the next 30+ years.

I’m not even 30 yet! I don’t have a really good grasp on what 30 years of life looks like.


What all that amounts to is this: I have to really and truly grow up.

Yes, I pay for things on my own and don’t get my parents’ help. Yes, everything I use and own is paid for completely and registered in my name. But, that all begins to mean something different when you have to enter the workforce full time.

I always knew exactly what was before me, months and even years in advance at times. I am a little OCD to combat a LOT of ADHD, and I’ve always considered myself a go-getter. I like having a plan, I like knowing where things are going, and I like to know and study all the details. In September of 2014, for example, I knew I would be at my university in August of 2015, 11 months prior if you’re counting. Before that, I had years of public school left to finish.

I’m cutting it close by not having a job offer, and I’m struggling with that as I watch my friends and acquaintances nail their interviews and nab some pretty coveted positions.

Things are going to change, and from where I’m sitting, that’s a scary thought. Not knowing exactly what is going to happen to me for the next 4 years, or even 1 year, gives me a level of anxiety unsurpassed by any all-nighter, final exam, or missed alarm that I’ve experienced before.

If you are a graduating college senior, perhaps you’re feeling this too. Some of you all have had multiple job offers for months and have had the opportunity to sit back, let graduation season take its course, and go buy some new biz casual clothes for the first day of work in June. However, many of us are in my situation. We don’t know what’s coming. We can’t tell you “what [we’re] going to do with [our] major”, although we love getting that question 47 times a week.


To all my fellow graduating seniors, what I can tell you is this: graduation is coming, whether you are ready for it or not, but the unknown shouldn’t scare you. It should motivate you.

You have been given the gift of a fresh start. You have the freedom to take that dumb Myers-Briggs quiz again, or an aptitude test, or a Buzzfeed quiz about what kind of cheese you are, for all I care. You can find your true passion, even if it has to be done after you get a job that will get you by.

The thing about that first job? It’s rarely your last job anymore.In this day and age, you can hop from a “meh” job to a good job to a great job if you want. Or you can stop working your normal 9-5, write a book or start a vlog, begin a business, and make money from home.

The point is, it doesn’t matter what you do, exactly. Make a lot of money, do what you love, or both. Start an organization in your community and become active in city affairs. Go on a lot of Tinder dates. See a movie by yourself so you don’t have to share the popcorn.

Live life.

See the world.

It’s your oyster, yada-yada.

Your life is a clean slate. Go decorate it.

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

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

45181
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

28548
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

953128
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

159581
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments