Ever since we were six years old, we have always known where we will be in a year. After kindergarten, you go to first grade. After fifth grade, you go to sixth grade. After you’re a sophomore, you’re a junior. It’s in our nature to be accustomed to routine. So maybe that is why, come senior year of college, we develop a newfound anxiety because we no longer have a definite answer to the “where are you going to be next year” question that is thrown at us from left and right. Most of the questions we are asked at this time of year are answered with “I don’t know yet”:
“What are your plans for next year?” I don’t know yet.
“What city will you be in?” I don’t know yet.
“What is your GPA this semester?” I really don’t know yet.
For the first time in our lives, our whereabouts a year from now are unknown and most likely subject to change. That thought alone can be terrifying and intimidating, and it is probably the reason behind your panicked phone calls to your mom on a weekly basis. But it can also be exciting and fun. Yes, this is the first time our future has had a question mark hovering over it. But it is also the first time in our lives where we have a world of opportunities in front of us. We can start over in a brand new city with a brand new job, or continue our education in graduate school, or choose a nontraditional path. This is not to say that we will get everything we want in the snap of a finger just because of our impressive degrees. Realistically, it will take a couple (or more) job applications before we get a job offer, we will probably be broke when we walk across the stage in May, and we will be sad to leave the campus we have called home for four years.
But maybe that’s what makes this time in our lives so great. If, as seniors in college, we weren’t confused or anxious or broke and we just knew all the answers about our future, would our twenties be as interesting? Or just painfully predictable? Of course, it is when the “what am I going to do with the rest of my life” question runs through our minds at 2 a.m that most of us really would love the answers.
But there is a certain excitement in not having it all together. Not knowing what your immediate future holds just means that there are endless possibilities in what it could bring. So keep sending out your resume, keep filling out grad school applications, and keep enjoying every last minute of your senior year. Because sometimes the not knowing is the fun part, too.