Everyone in college dreams of being a senior. Seniors are just one step closer to being done with stupid gen ed’s, exams, and the financial aid office forever. You dream of not having to worry about roommates that come home way too late and are way too loud, and how you will be able to afford real food when you graduate. Trust me, I was right there with you until I actually became a senior, and now I don’t want to leave college. Being a senior has its perks, but there is also a lot of stress that comes with it. I don’t want to freak any of underclassmen out, but here are just a few stresses that you will have to manage your senior year.
1. Creating a resume
Resumes are the first thing a potential employer wants to see. While I’ve had one for quite some time for part time jobs and nannying gigs, I have realized that my current resume just isn’t going to cut it. Take a professional writing class if you have a time. There I have learned what employers are looking for and how to market yourself without seeming too boastful. You may have done a lot of great things in high school, but I promise you that employers do not care about anything before college (unless you were like an Olympic Athlete, then I would definitely brag and put it on there).
2. Applying for REAL jobs
As I’ve said, I have only ever applied to part-time jobs and the process was pretty easy. Now that I am about to graduate, the searching process has begun and it is a lot harder than finding a retail job. I’m always told that employers love young kids fresh out of college, but then I get to a job listing and they want experienced personelle. So my 4 years of college dosn’t count as experience? Glad I just spend so much $$$$ on a degree that gave me NO experience. Okay, so I might be a little over dramatic because there are definitely jobs out there for post grads, but it is a process to find them.
3. The “what field are you going into” question
Maybe most seniors have an answer to this question, but as an English major I know that there are plenty of us that don’t. I am a few months from graduating and I still have no idea what field I am going into. It is the most stressful part of this whole “I’m graduating!” thing. However, I’ll argue that it is one of the more exciting things too. I don’t have my heart set on one thing, and I feel like I could do anything! Well, besides be an astronaut or something like that.
4. Grad School applications
I’m the type of person that has to have 5 different plans which is why I am applying to grad school. It sounds easy, but unlike a regular college application, you have to do a lot more. I’m finding it hard to get recommendation letters from professors AND coming up with a personal statement along with a writing sample. And they said senior year was a victory lap…
5. Being thrown into the real world
Seniors are typically stressed about the thought of being in the real world. College students have made the transition for over a century, but it is still a scary thought. Being in the college bubble is fun. You get to have bad habits of staying up late and eating whatever you want, but that reality is less acceptable in the real world. What is the world after college like? Is it socially okay to stay in and watch Netflix for 32 hours without leaving the house? Do you have to shower every day and look good? These are the questions that haunt me.
6. Leaving your friends
As a transfer student, I’ve had to do this a few times. It is hard moving away from your college friends and hoping that you will stay in touch. The memories you made with your college friends will never be replaced; but in my experience, you do end up drifting apart. Or you could end up moving to the same city and being roommates! Either way, its always bittersweet thinking and stressing about moving away.
7. Making the most of the last year
I can’t speak for all the seniors out there, but I know I stress about making the most of my last year of college. This is the last time you will get to experience the college lifestyle as a student. I’ve made it my goal to say yes more to the things that I won’t get to do after college. Yes to the going out even though you have a test to study for. Yes to the all night cram sessions because you and your friends wait until the last minute. Yes to getting food at 2 A.M. because why not, we’re in college. Yes to participating in the events you thought were stupid as a freshman. Yes to making the most of the last year of youthful freedom.
Hopefully I didn’t stress you out too much. Senior year is bittersweet and while it may be stressful at times, it is the best part of being a college student. Make the most of the time you have left! Cheers to you seniors!
Photo courtesy of Huffington Post