Graduating from college can be an exciting time. A time when you get to see all your efforts and years of hard work finally pay off. A time when you get to prove to yourself and others that you can do it. But it can also have a sad side to it.

For most students, this is the first time in their life that they no longer have to go to school. No more assignments, no more homework or crushing deadlines. Now you're entering the "real world," a scary one.

Well, it really isn't that scary. Chances are you've already had a job for a while, so you know a little about what it's like. But there's still an element of uncertainty, that you now have to navigate life on your own. There's no adviser to fall back on or excuses for being a student. Maybe that is why some people continue on to grad school rather than facing the outside world.

I think we just got used to this setup that it's hard to change. Change is always difficult, but it becomes more so when it's a routine that has been going on for practically all our lives. You could say it's different in high school than college and that's true, but there's a lot more in common between them than school and work.

It's harder for people who didn't think about their future when entering college and maybe choose a major that won't help them find a job, or that is something they don't enjoy. But for them finishing school might be less difficult because they probably want to get this over with.

For some people there's an element of sadness, leaving their friends behind, or maybe mentors they admire. All this ends and now we will start a career that may take us away from our friends and to faraway unknown places.

But when we take this step I think recovery will be quick. If you already have a job lined up it can make the transition easier, because it takes away part of the uncertainty. We don't have to worry about being away from our friends, we can still keep in touch. Whatever the distance between us, we're only just a message or phone call away from them.

I should have it easier because I took a break between high school and college, but I still feel a bit sad about this change and the future. I feel like I could have done much more during my time in college and missed out on a lot of opportunities to be more involved. But I'm still excited about the future and believe that looking ahead is the best way to avoid feeling sad.

Let's all look forward to our bright futures. We can make this time better for ourselves and each other if we live the moment and strive to be the best in everything we do.

Congratulations to all those graduating and moving on to the next phase in life!