Note: This is just my personal rant about my thoughts as I enter my senior year of college and have to think about the life ahead of me. I have to admit though that I am slightly frightened and overwhelmed if everything does not turn out the way I have always planned.

The stress of being a college senior is one that pretty much cannot be described, unless you have experienced it. I know for sure since I am now entering my senior year in college that I am definitely not the only college student that has broken down and cried because of the stress of studying, exams and managing my time. However, with the beginning of my senior year coming near I have started to stress about taking the GMAT, taking the GRE, getting good grades in my classes and balancing work and school. To tell you the truth it is a bit overwhelming and I have never thought of myself not going to grad school and instead just going into the workforce. It is something I never considered. I have always planned to attend University and get a higher degree, and if I do not end up attending grad school I have no clue with what I am going to do. To be completely honest, I do not feel prepared to become an adult in the workforce

I have to worry about getting good scores on my graduate tests, such as the GMAT and GRE to be able to get accepted into grad school. All prospective grad students know that to be able to get into grad school the majority of what the admissions team looks for is either a high GRE or GMAT score (since I am looking to apply for a business graduate program and most accept either or both of these exam scores, the GMAT is favored in the business world over the general GRE exam). Every University looks for these high scores in applicants to be able to be more selective in their admissions process. However, with juggling everything in my life, with work, studying and doing classwork and exams I worry about the amount of time I am able to put aside for both of these exams to study. I know that they both should be common sense but it is good to prepare for them before taking them so I can get a high score my first time rather than my second or third.

I am so stressed out and worried about getting good grades to reach a better GPA as well. To attend grad school, you need at least a 3.5 GPA. For the most part not many prospective students have a GPA over a 3.5, while others do. But, either way a high GPA is something that many graduate school consider when looking at a prospective students’ application. The GPA and grades gotten in your classes may not matter to you since you passed, but it is a way of showing these Universities that you are serious to attain this degree and that you will try your best in all your ability to pass these classes and earn your degree. These graduate programs sometimes consider those who earned lower GPAs and high test scores because they show promise that they have the ability to achieve everything needed to receive their graduate degree even though they may not have a great GPA. Your GPA may not seem as important as the graduate exam scores, but they do factor in with the decision of the University accepting you.

Additionally, balancing work and school is just so unbelievably hard. Do not get me wrong, but many definitely do work full time and attain college full time to receive an undergraduate degree. However, those who have never worked and maintained good grades in University do not understand the time and energy that has been drained from you because of a long day of work and then right after you have to attend class. It is definitely possible to juggle but do not doubt that it is not difficult because it is very hard to balance both work and school. There are definitely times when you just decide to not do any schoolwork or study on the days that you are not working because you need a well-deserved break, but believe me when I say those are the days that I regret because I was not responsible to get any work done. I am all relaxed and at peace with the world but then it hits me, the fact that I have not put any time into my classes to get something done. It feels as if I just sacrificed time that I could have put towards studying and schoolwork, towards absolutely nothing.

But, my overall worry is not getting into grad school. I personally do not feel prepared whatsoever to enter the workforce and be dedicated to a career for the rest of my life. It frightens me. I know that I attended school to receive a degree that I can use to get a better job that I desire and am passionate about and I am supposed to be excited about entering the typical working world of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. But, I am scared of what is to come. I am not prepared, yes I have juggled school and work, but not attending school anymore is something I am have not seen in my future plan. The U.S. school system has trained me to attend school every single day of my life since I was 3 years old in Pre-K and now I’m supposed to enter the work force full time and do that for the rest of my life after I graduate. It is quite a shock, one that I am not ready and have not prepared for.