The semesters feel like they take forever. Overwhelmed with assignments, you count down the days until the next break. But then the semester is over, and you realize that you have one less year at college. And it's extra crazy when you realize that your next year is going to be your last. I remember my mom telling me how high school was going to go by fast, and college even faster. I didn't believe her because high school seemed to pass so quickly, but she was right. Looking back, I still can't believe how three years have gone by in the blink of an eye. But over this past year, I learn a lot about myself, life, and the collegiate experience.
That the major you picked is actually really hard.
Junior year is where you take a majority of all your hard classes within your major. You go from baby steps to suddenly being way over your head and wondering how you're going to make this your chosen career path if you can't even keep up with what's being taught.
You're not too old to fail a class.
Take it from someone who just failed their first class. I thought my class sophomore year was the hardest class I'd ever take. I was dead wrong. It's definitely one of the worse feelings when you fail a class, especially when you thought you had mastered classes. But there's always going to be that one class that you will struggle with. You just have to put in the time and effort, and hopefully you'll slide by (C's get degrees, right?)
You start looking for real jobs instead of internships.
And you thought snagging an internship was hard. Now you have to try and find a remotely interesting entry level job that's not looking for 5 years of experience.
You realize you haven't done half of the things you said you would do in college.
There's only a year left, and you need to cross everything you said you would do off your bucket list. It's now or never to start making those plans. Find your friends, and plan that spontaneous road trip you've been meaning to do or go eat at that dive bar that was featured on triple D. You'll be happy you have those memories and experiences.
You realize how much you've changed since you started college.
Most of the time you still feel like that lost freshman who couldn't find their classes the first day. But as you look back and realize that it's been three years and not three hours, you see how far you've truly come. You know more about the world and being a student than you ever did in high school. And you see how the past three years have shaped you through all of the experiences and milestones. And despite it going by way too fast, you can not be more excited for your final year as a college student.
