As of today or tomorrow, the school year should have begun for almost all students. For a select group of us, also known as college seniors, this very well may be our last year of school ever. With that comes a whole array of different and conflicting emotions. You're excited, sad, anxious, scared, and stressed out all at the same time...and all for very good reasons. And who better to describe what is going on in my and other college seniors' heads as our last year begins than the six friends who will always be there for you.

Last spring, at the end of your junior year, you couldn't have been more excited.

I mean, who wouldn't be? After years of hard work, you finally only have one more year of school left.

After this year, there'll be no more homework, no more studying, and no more tests.

You feel like you're on top of the world.

You probably spent your summer either being responsible and preparing for your future with an internship/related job…

…or doing absolutely nothing to gain experience or prepare for your future career. (I fall into this category, unfortunately)

Either way, your summer more than likely went by too fast and now your last first day is upon you. And by now, you're probably feeling a lot of mixed emotions.

Don't get me wrong. You're still excited that it's your last year of school and that you get to spend another year with your friends. But underneath that excitement is also a little sadness, nostalgia, fear, anxiety, and all that other good stuff.

This year will be filled with a lot of lasts. The last time you pick up your books and supplies. The last time you visit certain classrooms and buildings on campus. And ultimately, the last time you may see certain people--friends, acquaintances, roommates, or professors--again.

Fortunately, not all of those lasts have to be bad things. Like I said before, this year will be your last year of homework, studying, and tests. It'll also be the last time you eat campus food. Unless, of course, you moved off campus earlier or you actually have good food at your school that you'll miss.

That excitement and/or sadness may be short-lived, though, when you start thinking about all of the work, pressure, and responsibilities you'll have to deal with this year.

On top of your normal assignments and tests/finals, you'll have your senior projects or theses or dissertations. Not to mention having to find or work at an internship during school in order to get experience for your future career.

But all of that is a piece of cake compared to what lies ahead: your very imminent future out in the real world. Which you and I both know we would rather not think about.

Ah, the real world. A magical place where you'll be expected to have it all figured out regarding: a job, a place to live, someone to settle down with, and a way to pay back all your student loans and other bills.

This is probably the scariest part of your senior year. Having to plan for your future after you graduate when you really have no idea what you want to do or who/where you want to be.

And let's be honest, you and I both know we don't have a real plan. (Or at least I don't.)

Unless that plan requires doing anything and everything to avoid joining the real world and becoming an adult.

All that being said, your senior year in college is/will be one of the most exciting, sad, stressful, and scary times of your life. It is your final step, your last hoorah if you will, before you truly become an adult and enter the real world. So just try to enjoy it while you can, because it'll be the only one you will have. Don't let all of that real world stuff scare you off or get in the way of you having a memorable, kick-ass senior year.