I can’t escape the question: Why are you not graduating in May?
I’ve done things right. I have not taken semesters off or failed critical classes. I’m just getting done with four years of college and about to start another year. Some call me lazy. Some call me unorganized and unprepared for the “real world.” I’ve heard every fifth-year senior joke you can think of, and I might or might not have been asked if I am aspiring to be the female version of National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (I mean, duh).
1. I am not alone and neither are you.
If you’re going into your fifth year, or you already know you’re going to be in college for more than four years, you’re not the only one. Rolling up to campus for a fifth year might feel like a lonely venture, but it’s way more common than you’d think. This was the hardest part for me when deciding if I should stay for a fifth year or not— for a long time, I was convinced I was the only person who will have ever taken more than four years to finish college.
Forbes reported in 2013 that 49% of students enrolled at a school listed as one of "America's Top Colleges" will graduate on time. The numbers reported for private and public institutions vary — private schools boast a 59% rate, while public institutions fall at 32%. Just barely, but that’s less than half! You probably don’t have to look far to find a fellow super senior to bond with.
2. One more summer.
While the rest of my friends who are graduating are sweating in suits at their office without a window, I get one more shot at enjoying the sunshine for three months. For one last summer, I can do whatever I want before saying goodbye to Monday through Friday. This summer I am going on an adventure and visiting Taiwan and Japan. Not too shabby for my last free summer.
3. Learn from the mistakes of others.
Right out of college, I can guarantee most of my friends are going to be a little lost. They’ll take the first position offered to them. They’ll move to cities where they know no one. They will realize they do not even like the field they majored in. They will think they have the world by the balls, but then they will realize they know nothing. You can definitely look for advice from your friends who have done it when it is your time to conquer the real world.
4. Already seen it and lived it.
If you have seen National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (which you probably have because Ryan Reynolds is in it), you might remember when the super x7 senior tells a freshman, “You know what I’ve learned in my seven years here at Coolidge? I’ve learned that you can’t treat every situation as a life-and-death matter, because you’ll die a lot of times.”
I have already seen (and survived) it all, from the freshman 15 (or 25), an 8 am class with an awful professor, to changing majors and failing a class. Nothing this year can phase me.
5. Another year of college discount.
This is pretty self explanatory.
and finally..........
6. Another year wiser.
In a year, I will be a totally different person. I will make different decisions and want different things then what I may now. I can grow within my internship and may even have a job lined up. I simply do not know and that is the exciting part. It is exciting because it is another year of learning. Learning who I am, what I want, and where I want to go with my life.
I know as long as I do not take this next year as a joke, I will come out more successful than I would be if I graduated this May. Proud to be a Super Senior.
