For many undergraduates across the nation, the home stretch has begun. Only one more semester remains in our undergraduate career. Oh, the places we will go! For the majority of college seniors, this is simultaneously the best and worst year out of the past four and here’s why.
1. The classes you are taking are actually difficult.
A schedule full of easy pottery throwing and film courses is merely a myth on the average campus. With all of those
2. You probably have a fancy internship somewhere.
A staple of any undergraduate resume is the internship experience. By senior year, you finally have the necessary course work and experience to land a position at your dream company. If you are like me, in the humanities, then that also means long hours worked each week with no form of compensation. It is not all about the
3. You and your pals are all of a legal age to drink (even the late bloomers).
You have finally reached the point in your academic career when you and all your friends are legal and can venture away from campus to participate in those late night shenanigans. Chicago is unquestionably a perfect place to do so -- Wrigleyville, Boystown, River North, the possibilities are bountiful. But alas, recall that you are strapped for cash, and time with your internship, and course load and sometimes taking advantage of all Chicago has to offer gets pushed behind your other responsibilities. Never fear, even though you may not be the party animal you used to be, it is always comforting to know that you can go buy a bottle of wine to enjoy at home with friends while writing that long term paper for class.
4. The future... what is that?
You used to relish all of the academic breaks for the chance to head home and see your family. Free food and laundry, oh my! Now, every time you head to those large family gatherings in celebration of the holidays, you are plagued by questions of your future. Where are you heading next? Any plans? Do you have a job yet? For many of us, our plans are still uncertain and not being able to respond only stresses us out more. So thanks, we appreciate the
5. Apply, interview, rejection, repeat.
Following this path of stress over the future, on top of balancing your course load,
Senior year is undoubtedly one of the highlights of any undergraduate career because of the perks that come with it. You have a core group of friends, you can pretty much partake in any activity across the city and yet it comes with certain responsibilities that make the entire experience bittersweet. The only thing we can do is embrace it, enjoy it while its lasts and persevere through its valleys and peaks. We are on the home stretch with one-eighth of our bachelor’s degree to complete, keep your heads up, fellow seniors!
