"The Bachelor" franchise and I go way back. I haven’t missed an episode of "The Bachelor" or its counterpart, "The Bachelorette," since I started watching seven seasons ago. I am one of those people who ends up a little bit too emotionally involved after insisting that I won’t be. I have more than once contemplated writing on my résumé my greatest achievement to date: Staying on hold for almost three hours and speaking with Chris Harrison and the iconic, perpetually drunk Lace during the after show, "Bachelor Live."
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I completely acknowledge that the show is a bit of a hot mess, and that going on a date in a different country every week to fall in love in nine weeks isn’t exactly realistic. However, you may be surprised that "The Bachelor" mirrors a greater multitude of situations than you may think.
Any given episode has drama, suspense, humor, adventure, heartbreak and a whirlwind of emotions, usually brought on by excessive alcohol consumption. All of these things encompass senior year of college, which can be just as dramatic and unpredictable as a group of women who have quit their jobs to be cut off from the outside world in the hopes of marrying a man they’ve never met.
Initially, you think it will be like this.
But it turns out to be a whole lot more of this.
With homework, job applications and so little time, multitasking becomes essential.
You’ll have to learn how to network and ask all the potential employers the right questions at job interviews and career fairs, which is a lot harder than it seems.
After fall, winter and spring break, you realize that they will be your last ever.
You haven’t quite accepted that you’re old enough to have Facebook friends from high school that are getting engaged and having kids.
Since apparently there’s no other way to initiate small talk, you will be asked the tried and true, “So what do you have lined up after graduation?”
Reading job rejection letters is always fun.
And so is pretending to be excited for people who have nailed their dream jobs.
But don’t worry, because eventually you’ll get an offer!
Towards the end of the school year everyone will become deep and reflective on social media.
After all of the stress and sleepless nights, getting your diploma will feel just as good as getting Ben's final rose!
