School. Early mornings. Classes. Progress reports. Report cards. Breaks. Semesters. Quarters. Tests. Finals. These are all of the things that have been part of my vocabulary since I was five years old and going into kindergarten. I am 22 years old now which means I have been in school consecutively, with no skipping semesters or time off, for 17 years. I am lucky enough to say that school has been a mandatory part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can't imagine what growing up would have been like if education wasn't in the picture. A huge chunk of my memories would be gone and I definitely wouldn't have made the friends that I still have today, not to mention the endless life lessons.

I am now a senior in college with a little less than three months until graduation. When you are years away from this point you look at it with tons of excitement and anticipation. You have your dreams and goals and your future career mapped out and in your mind, it's all going to go as planned. Nothing will get in the way of what you want to do. This is what my mindset was at least. But now I'm here. I'm about to be free from all the responsibilities that come with schooling and I am about to enter the real world. I am absolutely terrified. I never thought that I would feel this way but as of now, I have no idea where my future is going to end up.

The main thing on my mind is finding a job that makes me truly enjoy waking up every morning. I plan to work somewhere that makes me want to grow and flourish within that position. With my degree, there is a pretty long list of things that I can technically do. I am pretty confident that even though the job market is a little rough right now, I am going to find something soon after I graduate. I'm not worried about actually finding a job as much as I'm worried about my happiness within that job. It'll be my nine to five, my everyday routine, my income, and my new reality much like school has been for the past 17 years. This job will be my life. I worry endlessly that I am going to choose the wrong thing and I will be stuck and miserable.

I worry that I am going to run out of money. I'll be out of college so it's going to be time to completely be on my own and without the assistance of my mom and dad. I am scared that I won't be able to manage my money and make enough to support myself and my lifestyle. I worry that this will take a toll on me and I will become unhappy and have to go back to serving tables just to make ends meet. I am scared that I will be stuck in a situation that I cannot get out of. I am scared that I am going to hate my communications degree because it isn't making me enough money.

Although all of these things are sitting still in the back of my mind, there is one positive factor that I am clinging on to. Accomplishment. It is truly an amazing feeling to look back and see all of the things I have accomplished throughout the years that has brought me to this point; college graduation. I can't believe that I will be walking across a stage in three short months to receive a diploma that I have worked so hard for. Because of my dedication and never giving up on what I want, I will officially earn my spot in the real world. I will be a real working adult with a "big girl job" that I have dreamed about for so long. Graduating college only happens once and if I let the "what if's" weigh me down, I will be missing out on the mere fact that I actually made something of myself. I am scared, nervous, anxious, and SO excited to see what life after graduation has to offer.