What does it mean to be in college? It’s like the bridge between being coddled and protected in high school and being left to the mercy of the world. So am I allowed to act like a kid or am I supposed to be an adult?

Technically, I’m still a “College Kid,” but that label expires in May – then what do I do? I’m sure everyone in his or her last year of college goes through this, but facing a big cloud of uncertainty isn’t easy.

From this point, our lives have been basically planned out. We go to elementary, middle, then high school. Then we go to college. Then we get a job. But then what? Am I the only one who gets bored living in the same old routine? And the scariest part is that up until now, we knew that each phase of life was going to end. And now we don’t.

While the uncertainty of all this is horrifying, it’s also the coolest part. Our lives are going to be what we make them – and the best way to do that is to do hard things; to take on challenges and stand tall in the face of adversity.

Our lives won’t be research papers, Netflix and microwave meals much longer. They aren’t going to be living with our best friends and studying late and procrastinating. They won’t be planned out on spreadsheets, budgeted, or have guidelines that we just look up in the course catalog.

Our lives are going to be hard, but it’s all gonna work out how it’s supposed to, right? Let me quote the wall art from the Zumba studio at the Y, “Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created.” So let’s keep going – all the hard work is going to be worth it.

We were made for this. And we’re here for a reason. And it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to balance work, school, or adulthood – lighten up and enjoy the adventure. Don’t be so hard on yourself, just say “Hey, I’m new at this.”