To the class of 2018, it is crazy to think that it has already been two years since we began our journey as freshman at the university of our choice. At this point, majors are declared and our futures are beginning to have some structure. Summers are filled with internships, after all, how else will we get a job after graduation? That is the issue here. For those of us who do not know exactly what we want to do in the “real world” after our remaining two years come to an end, the future is absolutely terrifying. Even if you do have some sort of an idea for the job path you would like to pursue, there are still so many uncertainties. How can I afford to live on my own? What about my student loans? What if nobody hires me? Should I go to grad school? This sort of thinking will overwhelm you, and will lead to what I call a “mid (college) life crisis.”
Social media and your surroundings are the reasons for these kinds of thoughts. You wake up and read a Facebook post about how much someone loves his or her internship. Around campus, you hear of juniors who already know where they will be working after graduation. Originally, after learning of my peers’ endeavors, I began to question everything. I worried that I picked the wrong major, even though it is a subject that I am passionate about. Eventually, I had to tell myself that everything will turn out okay. I needed to stop worrying, so I focused on my accomplishments inside and outside of my major. Although I may not be as successful right now as some of my peers, that does not mean I won’t catch up to them in the future.
Another scary aspect of the future has to do with the relationships I have made during my time at college. The thought of going separate ways from my best friends after graduation is heartbreaking. I know these people inside and out, and I cannot imagine my life without them. I want the absolute best for them, but I worry that the “absolute best” will take us in different directions. College is such a short span of our lives in the general scheme of things, but I know I will never forget some of the great times I have had. Like I said before, I need to stop worrying, but it’s hard when I know something good will eventually come to an end.
I do not mean to sound so negative, as I try to keep a positive outlook on everything I do. However, sometimes the stress of college and the future catch up to me all at once. Many upcoming juniors feel similar because it is strange to think we are halfway done with school. As children, the thought of going away to college felt distant and almost unreal. The fact that it is potentially almost over is unsettling. I guess that is the best part of life, for if everything was planned out then the future wouldn’t contain any excitement. All I can say is work hard in school, but have fun at the same time. After all, graduation is two years away.
