Oh, graduation; sweet, sweet graduation. If there is one thing other than alcohol that I can love and hate at the same time I’m going to have to say it’s graduation. The buildup of graduation is like a pregame but the aftermath is all too similar to a hangover. What did I do last night? I’m going to throw up at the thought. Can I go back and do it again?
The thought of graduating is bittersweet. While it’s inevitable that one day we’ll all have to give into society and find ourselves in a real work environment, today all we have to do is prepare for the day that makes all of the misery of big girl/boy world possible. Here are the seven fears we all have leading up to graduation.
1. Did I have enough fun?
One of my greatest fears about graduating is that I didn’t have enough fun. Yes, I did my fair share of weekend binges with my friends, explored the city in which I called home for three years and danced on bars but what really constitutes as “enough” fun?
Typically, when you speak to alumni, not necessarily from your same university but in general, they feel the need to disappoint and tell you that college is the best time of your life. If this is true I need to turn around and place my game piece back at the start line. I am not yet done with fun!
2. Will I pass this last class?
You either saved all of your impossibly difficult classes for the end or you saved all of the super easy ones, developed major senioritis and simply don’t care about them anymore.
That last semester before graduation is the most fun of them all but that one class is haunting you. It’s the one without any homework, extra credit or smiling. You come to class in a cold, grey room to sit for an hour listening to a professor who barely speaks English. Do they really expect you to pass two exams both worth 900 points?
3. Did I do enough for my resume?
Okay, so everyone is graduating and fighting for a job. You’re counting out the seniors within your major to scout out and eliminate any competition because look at your resume and look at theirs.
You joined this club and that club, interned here and there but was it really enough? But again, what even constitutes as enough? Hopefully, you didn’t waste your time because the degree definitely isn’t going to be enough. If so, pick up a summer internship.
4. Did I choose the right career path?
If you’re a senior and rethinking your entire chosen career path after four years of hard work, dedication and all of your money, just know you’re not alone. Maybe while you were in school the jobs in your field became much like the plague of work; there’s no money in it and nobody wants to go there.
I feel the same way. Just enjoy a cup of coffee, a slice of cake, maybe cry a little bit, or a lot and get your sh*t together. You will make it in your field and you will kick ass at it. Stay confident!
5. What do I wear to graduation?
Do I completely embarrass my parents and wear my birthday suit as a final goodbye to my university? If you don’t go in that direction go in the total opposite and make your outfit count.
Choosing what to wear to a life event such as graduation is important. It’s like choosing a wedding gown. One day your children will look back at the pictures from your college graduation and hopefully they’ll totally love your outfit and want to borrow it for their own graduation. Think of graduation like the red carpet where everyone wants to know what you’re wearing.
“I got this on sale at Target two years ago!” No. Spend the little extra cash to look like you belong on that stage.
6. Will I fall?
B*tches are always tripping over nothing. I am horrified to walk across the stage in any type of shoe. I could go barefoot and I would probably still trip.
Everyone wonders if they’ll be the person to trip and fall so, if you just so happen to be that person, prepare yourself in advance. Know that you're going to jump back up and throw your arms in the air. Let everyone clap for your gracelessness and keep going. You paid a lot of money for that walk of fame.
7. Will I ever see my friends again?
Cue the sighs and sobbing. This is such a sad part of graduation, especially if you went to college out of state and away from home. A lot of the people you met may also be from out of state and it’s sad to think you’ll never see them again. Make sure you hold your friends extra tight before you go. Promise to see each other and stay in touch no matter what!
In the final weeks before graduation make sure to say goodbye to the people in your major classes as well. Did you talk to them enough? Do you know their names? Shake a few hands and give a few hugs before you walk away from college to never return again. They were there for your whole ride and you were there for theirs whether you noticed or not. It means something.
