After long days of classes, longer hours of studying, countless sleepless nights, challenges, obstacles, successes, failures, blood, sweat, and tears, the feeling of graduating from college is truly surreal.
You work so hard for what feels like so long until the day actually arrives and suddenly it all went by so fast. In the blink of an eye, your entire college career is over and you're on to the next chapter in life. It's a pretty big deal.
Naturally, graduating gives us a plethora of emotions. It's as if all of the fluctuating emotions we've experienced over the course of our college years bottles up into one huge melting pot of feelings, and it all just bursts on graduation day.
Of course we're happy to finish what we came to accomplish, but we can't help but to feel a wave of emotions when we actually face the reality of leaving it all behind.
Here is the common mixture of feelings you get on graduation day:1. Anticipation.
The anticipation you feel leading up to the moment of graduating seems to be the strongest feeling. The huge build-up for this one day takes over and you can't help but to feel like this is one of the biggest days of your life. Right up there with your wedding and the birth of your child. Graduation is a milestone achievement and you've basically waited your whole life for this very moment.
2. Denial.
As we anticipate that this moment is about to actually happen, we tend to feel a sense of denial. Is this really happening? Did I really make it this far? There's no going back now! Only moving forward.
3. Shock.
Once the denial passes, we feel a sudden burst of shock. *Gasps* Oh my god. Yes, the day has come. It's really happening...
4. Stress and anxiety.
Even though you've probably been stressing your entire senior year, graduation day usually gives you a quick taste of anxiety just to ruffle you up a bit in the midst of your huge moment. Whether you get cold feet the morning of, or your nerves kick in the second you are about to hit the stage, it's a huge moment with a lot of adrenaline, so be prepared to feel some sort of stress and anxiety even if you don't realize it's happening.
5. Anxiousness.
Along with the anticipation, we just cannot wait to bask in this moment and know what it feels like. You've seen it your entire life. A new graduating class experiences this same accomplishment every single year. You've watched countless movies about it, seen millions of pictures and graduation parties, etc. So it's only natural that the build-up to this moment makes you insanely anxious. We just can't wait!
6. Excitement.
Among all of the emotions you feel when graduating, the anticipation and anxiousness eventually turns into excitement. This is YOUR moment. It's YOUR time to shine. Get pumped about it!
7. Happiness.
Ah, yes. Despite all of the raging emotions trying to get in the way of your glory, happiness is by far the most powerful. You're finally being rewarded for all the hard work you put into school. You are a superstar and this is your day to own it. Don't worry, be happy.
8. Controlled Chaos.
This is the best way to describe this type of feeling. There's something very chaotic about graduation day. The prepping, the build-up, the long wait for the quick moment. It all happens so fast, and it's all chaotically controlled.
During the day-long event of getting everything done, seeing all your friends and family, taking pictures, planning things out, and making sure you don't miss a single thing that you will regret, it's a lot to do in just a little bit of time.
However, amidst the crazy chaos, you feel a sense of peace. A calmness lies deep within as you experience this moment, it's all about finding it, and being in your happy place. Don't get lost in the chaos and let this moment pass you by.
9. Thrill.
This is by far the best feeling. With adrenaline pumping, glory-basking, and excitement through the roof, the rush of graduation is what makes the moment feel so surreal. Just when you thought college was a crazy ride, get ready to feel that entire thrill all wrapped up into one on this day.
10. Relief.
Despite all of the mixed emotions that come pouring out on this day, if you can let it out, there will be a sigh of relief. After you experience all of the crazy feelings, second thoughts, worries, stresses, and even excitement to get the hell out, you will actually feel relieved that you actually made it. You're here, in this moment. And it's a total relief.
11. Reflective.
You'll be reminiscing about college for the rest of your life. The memories, relationships, friendships, lessons learned and experiences created, will follow you for years to come. In this very moment of realizing you're leaving it all behind, you feel reflective of everything you've been through to actually get to this point. Soak it all in, because for many graduates, you only get this feeling once.
12. Proud.
Hell yeah we're proud. I'm a college graduate bitches!!!
13. Bittersweet.
This is actually the most powerful feeling, and it pretty much sums up your entire roller coaster of emotions. After it's all said and done, it all comes down to this. You're sad to go, but happy to be done. You're stressed about what's going to happen next, yet excited to see what the future has in store for you. Leaving your friends is sad, but you look forward to meet more. It's happy, yet it's sad. It's scary, yet thrilling. It's bitter, yet it's sweet.
Enjoy the ride.
