Remember when you were a freshman in high school? Young, naïve and still figuring yourself out, you never felt like the day would come when you would be ruling the school as a senior. Nonetheless, the day finally came when you were the oldest at school.
Remember when you were a freshman in college? Still young, naïve and figuring yourself out, you never felt like the day would come when you would be gearing up to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. Yet, here you are preparing for your final year of school.
Needless to say, time flies by and before you know it the college experience will come to an end. Senior year of college can evoke a multitude of emotions. Here are five emotions you may be likely to feel at some point during your final year of your undergrad education.
1. Happiness. Feeling happy is a natural and typical reaction during your senior year. After all, the years and years of
tests and homework will be coming to an end. Senior year also brings a
lot of perks. You’re most likely 21 and able to hit the bars. The established
friendships from your prior years and the knowledge of knowing
you’re so close to a diploma and degree make senior year all the sweeter.
2. Anxiety. There is a lot of pressure in college. Pressure to get good grades,
pressure to join the right clubs, pressure to be involved and, ultimately,
pressure to succeed. After graduation, the pressure to find an amazing career is
at an all time high. Anxiety is one of the most widespread feelings for
college seniors looking to take the next step, whether it's furthering
education or finding a job or internship.
3. Relief. Lets get one thing straight – college is not easy. At orientation before
my freshman year, I remember hearing a speaker tell us, “Look to your left, then look to your right. Only one out of
you three will finish college here at Washington State.” I think most people at
one point or another in their college career have doubts about themselves.
Feeling relief that you’ve made it to your senior year is completely natural.
4. Dismay. A sorority sister and dear friend of mine had a full on
life-crisis when she turned 20 years old. She couldn’t handle the fact she
wasn’t a teenager anymore. I can only imagine and prepare for when it’s time
for her senior year. Dismay is the best word I can pick to describe this
emotion. Senior year flies by, so don’t be too alarmed when it’s time for
graduation.
5. Denial. Denial at the conclusion of your college career is
completely fine. Sometimes, it is just too hard to accept that your glory
days are coming to an end. I’m currently in the denial stage and I’m
thoroughly enjoying it. After all, ignorance is bliss, right?
Enjoy the moment. Embrace the grind. Take full
advantage of the fact that it’s pretty much the last year it's socially
acceptable to go to McDonald’s, fully clothed in pajamas, at 1 p.m. on a
Saturday.
