Watching my younger brother graduate the eighth grade this weekend has gotten me feeling very nostalgic. I remember the nostalgia I felt when I myself was graduating eighth grade as well as the nostalgia I felt when I was graduating high school. Recently, I have been feeling nostalgic as I enter my senior year of college and realize I have exactly one more year before I enter into the real world. Watching time go by is pretty much crazy. No matter what feelings we are experiencing as we exit one chapter of our lives and enter the next, we all experience nostalgia on some level.

It does not matter if we are “soooo ready to move on” or are “so over this already.” We all have that moment when we look back and realize all the time that has passed, and we are shocked that we are actually adults. It truly seems like just yesterday we were freshmen and just starting college. It seems like our only worry should be selecting our major and figuring out our ideal class schedule. Well now, we have life after graduation to worry about. Are we going to have a job lined up right away, or are we going to move home? Are we going to do something crazy and adventurous, or are we going to keep it simple? It really all depends on what makes sense for each individual.

The worst part is thinking about what everyone else will be doing. What adventures will all of our friends be embarking on after graduation? Will we be included on these adventures? Will we be living nearby each other when the real world starts? What is going to happen to everything we have established these last four years?

These are the questions I have been harping on for the last eight months. The truth is, we have no idea what is going to happen at graduation, and that is totally okay. There is no telling what the future holds. There is no sense worrying about whether or not you’re going to be with your friends after graduation, because there is always going to be uncertainty there. However, there is sense in worrying about what you are going to do after graduation. Not that I have any experience in the post-grad life, but I do believe there is value in being totally prepared for that life.

At the very least, have an idea of what kind of a job you want to have when you graduate and reach out to absolutely everyone you can to achieve that job. That does not mean that you are selecting a career, but you are selecting a way to earn money, which will lead you well into the rest of your life.

The beginning of the real world will not define your life, but it will define how you go about achieving in your life.