I never thought that I would see myself writing from the perspective of a senior in college. I thought by 21, I would have found that college was not for me and that I was better off working in restaurants or finding a trade. But here I am trying to put into words what I need to hear myself and what I hope could be useful knowledge to pass down to upcoming seniors.
I was struggling to find inspiration for this article and then I thought about the time I told my mom about a bad grade and how much I worried about not being as smart as other students at my school, and she told me,
"Your dad and I care so much more about your life experiences than we do about your grades. We're just proud of your hard work."
I never forgot that. And ever since then, I've worked harder and been so much more concerned with the importance of relationships and experiences of college. So I'm keeping it short and sweet with the three main things that I would pass to other seniors or upcoming seniors.
1. Your GPA doesn't determine your future or the quality of your college experience.
There is no reason to stay up late at night questioning your worth because of your grades. I've done it, and it's miserable. It's a never ending cycle because there is no end goal with worrying. Of course you should go to class, study hard, and try your best. But when your best is a little below what you expect or want, that's okay. It's still your best and YOU are still good enough. Don't try to find your self-worth in a bunch of numbers or letters given to you by people who don't know you beyond a paper or a bunch of bubbled in letters. You're going to contribute to the world in a million wonderful ways so don't let a grade or score take away from that. Yes, you should still have dinner with your friends, go to events, join clubs, take those trips, and make the most out of your experience. It really is the best time of your life.
2. Don't be afraid of the "What's next" question. Better yet, don't be afraid to say that you just don't know.
I get that this can be a little intimidating but you've got to just realize that you'll figure it out. Figuring it out could mean you get into that awesome graduate program or it could mean that you work some odd jobs for a year to pay for furthering your education. But figuring it out could also mean that your education stops after undergrad and you find something else to do. But the thing is, you're going to make it and life is going to be great because you're writing a story as you live your life and it's a beautiful one; full of successes to rejoice in and failures to learn and teach others from. Either way, you can't go wrong. Also, don't let people scare you when they use the term "adult world." I would say moving away from home, taking on a full class load, and sometimes a job or two makes you an adult enough. You've done great so far, and it's going to keep getting better.
3. Have fun.
This sounds so cheesy and like I said, I never thought I'd see myself where I am right now. When my mom left after moving me in, I cried like a small child. But when she came back to help me move out of my freshman dorm, I had a hard time getting my stuff and my memories out of there. I wanted to stay and moving home sounded miserable. Now I'm in my senior year wishing I had 3 more years. I think back on every hard day or boring class, failed relationship or lost friendship, and I'm so thankful that I grew up enough to take chances on those things because they made my college experience and life in general so much more interesting. A lot of people will tell you that senior year is the time to buckle down and get serious and maybe so, but don't forget to have a good time and take advantage of every opportunity you get that you won't get outside of college.
I think it's appropriate to end this with my new favorite saying,
"Everything is going to be alright."
