As a Salem State student, we all know how hard it is to graduate on time. The school is known for all the super seniors, and super-super seniors, and on and on and on. It is incredibly hard to graduate on time and with the end of the semester here I am sure a lot of you are thinking "will next year ACTUALLY be my last year here?" If you are thinking that, you aren't alone, there are plenty of us with the same fears constantly in the back of our mind.

There is no secret to getting that cap and gown on time. You essentially have to know exactly what you want to do and make a strict plan to get it done in four years. Unfortunately, most of us take a few years to figure it all out.

Whether you took some extra time to declare a major, switched your major once, or twice, or five times, or you transferred to Salem State at some point you probably fall under the category of trying to graduate on time but really not seeing it happening for you. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, it's OK. You don't have to finish college in four years, or even six years. Stuff happens, and you hit setbacks and roadblocks, and it is completely understandable if you don't cross that stage in four years. What matters is that you are trying, and you are constantly moving forward.

It is no secret that college is hard and stressful. You are allowed to change your major or your school it is part of being in college, it is up to you to find yourself, and choose a major based on what you love and are passionate about. That might take some trial and error so you have a few different majors and do a few extra semesters, so what? Ultimately all that matters is that you are happy with your decisions. I'm going to let you in on another little secret, nobody knows what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Go up to a 50-year-old in the middle of their career and ask them what they want to do for the rest of their lives and I'd say eight times out of ten they'll answer with a staggering "I have no idea".

I would like to give you, as well as myself, some advice. Do what makes you happy. In the end, that is all that matters. It is ok if you are stuck at Salem State for an extra few semesters. Some of us take a little longer to get to that place where they are comfortable and happy, take that time and figure it out. Might as well take that extra time in college rather than sticking to a path you aren't happy with and realizing twenty years down the line that you should have taken that extra year and really made some different choices.

So welcome to your fifth year at Salem State, keep pushing, keep challenging and changing yourself and you'll get there. It's not a competition on who can follow a set plan and finish college as quickly as possible. If you can do that, fantastic, that is really something to be proud of. But if you are not one of those people don't beat yourself up about it, sit back and enjoy the process, you will figure it out, eventually.