An Open Letter To Anyone Not Graduating On Time

To those not graduating on time,

It's okay. It sucks 110%, but it's going to be okay. Each one of us has different reasoning for why and it's extremely disappointing none the less when it first becomes a reality. You begin to heavily dwell on the what ifs and I should have donethis or that, but in a situation like this, it's better to move on and forward than to be bitter about something you can't change. I understand the difficulties in trying to stay positive, especially when having to explain the situation to your other graduating friends and family who are just as excited to see you graduate. You also start to see graduation photos, invitations and posting statuses about careers, and you feel extremely bitter about it.

So yeah, trust me, this situation does suck, but it's better to know that this happens more often now than you think. An article posted by The New York Times states that only 41% of college students manage to graduate in four years. Even though this situation does suck, at least you're not alone and most definitely not a failure because here is the reality:

COLLEGE IS REALLY HARD!

You're constantly changing majors, taking classes with exams, papers, presentations, and group projects, and on top of everything you're learning how to be independent and figure out your finances. Yes, college has and is a rewarding experience, but we can't be so hard on ourselves for not graduating on time, we should just be proud of our accomplishments so far. It's not like we slacked off and that's why we're here for another one to two years, we just need more time, there's no time limit on when to finish college because no one else is receiving that degree but you.

As hard as it will be to watch your fellow classmates walk this year, it's more important to really take advantage this extra time at school can do for you. Take advantage by meeting, even more people, gaining more knowledge and guidance from professors, join a club you never thought you'd get into, or just take advantage of being at YOUR college again. You picked this college for a reason, you only get experiences like this so often, it's better to take advantage and enjoy of the time you have left now. Because no matter how long it does take you to earn your degree, you're still achieving something amazing, and you should be proud of that. You should also remember that your friends, and family will still love you and be just as proud when you're finally done with college, and the real world will be waiting to. You're not "falling behind" or "behind the rest of the world". In fact, the world is just waiting for you!