We all know that feeling of your college career coming to a close. After four long years, the life you used to eat, sleep, breathe, and sometimes bleed was nearing the finish line. Remember that nervous feeling you had as you were leaving high school, deciding what college institution you wanted to attend and what you wanted to study? That feeling of accepting your admissions to that institution? Or going to the new student orientation that you were oh so dreading? Well, take those feelings and multiply them by one hundred. In the coming weeks, I am going to be walking along my fellow peers and sitting in the hot sun during commencement. However, before listening to the long, drawn out speeches made by the president, valedictorian, and that “surprise” guest that is the same every single year, you must immerse yourself in the idea of leaving a place that may or may not have meant so much to you.

For starters, take a look back at who you were when you first entered college. What was your personality like? I know I was a scrawny mouse who had to follow the footsteps of her older sister. Right away, your college career is you automatically changing your attitude or outlook on the woes on having to get a Bachelor degree. As you began to grow into the very person you are today, you realize that the first and second semester seemed like eons ago. You can barely remember what classes you took, let alone what professors you had. But there is that one moment when you realize how far you have come since the first day.
As graduation comes closer and at a fast pace speed that seems impossible to stop, no matter how hard you try, you begin to think of the extracurricular activities you did or did not do along the way. Whether it was joining a club, team or being a part of those who sat outside to enjoy the scenery on campus, you know that you wish you did more to be part of the community. I know I wish that I participated in more clubs than I did. I had a set schedule and I tried not to stray from it. With that being said, there is still some guilt that is there for not being fully immersed within the community. But, what I do know is, that I met some pretty encouraging peers and faculty along the way.

This leads into thinking about the friends you made and how many classes you had with them. Being a Communications major, I have possibly six or seven classes with the same people. You begin to build a bond with your peers, only because you are all going to have the same struggles. Now, there are five courses all of us had to sit through and much to our dismay, we bounced off each other to get through it all. I’m pretty sure that all majors in different institutions have the same flow happening throughout their students’ careers. There is no doubt in my mind, that you are grateful for their peer guidance along the way. Your peers are there for you every step of the way and you begin to worry that you might lose touch after graduation. Make sure that both parties are willing to stay in touch and complain about their woes after everything is said and done.

The faculty might have brought you misery with all those papers you had to write for them, however, I can honestly say that it was one hundred percent worth the pain and tears. As much as none of us wanted to hear it, the professors were right about one thing. Everything that we learn in their courses is actually useful. As graduation draws near, they begin to question you and dig further inside your brain to see where you might end up post commencement. If them torturing us wasn’t bad enough, now we need to suffer some more. Hello? Finals are right around the corner and we are already fighting to stay awake and not suffer from “senioritis’. Please do not make us succumb to failing.

That being said the dreaded finals. Knowing that graduation is only one week after finals, you have to give it your all and pass those exams. If you are like and worry about your grades on a daily basis, do not fret my friends, I have found the way to leaving it on the back burner. I always tell myself that no matter what I am graduating on time, in front of hundreds of people. I try not to dwell on the fact that I have papers to write and family to please. I focus on my accomplishments and know that everything I have done will be rewarded. You know, unless your grades are not posted until after graduation, which may happen.

Since our careers are about to end, we must begin our post-Bachelor scavenger hunt. This includes looking for either full-time jobs or institutions so we can continue our education. Thus, the added unwanted stress becomes our nightmare. Nothing says “Congratulations, but now you need to make some grown up decisions about your life.” Gee, thank you adulthood for that warm welcome. However, that is another chapter of our lives that I am not quite ready to face yet.
In the four years that I have been what I like to call a “micro adult”, I have struggled and succeeded. I am certain that all college students go through the same thing. No one is perfect and no one will ever be perfect. All I know is, I am stressing out over everything that is coming my way within the next few weeks. But once it is graduation day, I know that my current fears will fade away for the time being. Time will only tell what will happen in my future, and all college students should think in a similar manner.

As my future awaits for me, I am excited to see what will happen and what new adventures I will go on. Until then, I must wait to see until after graduation.