With graduation quickly approaching, everything is starting to feel so surreal. When I think about the fact that I will be at a completely different university next semester, pursuing a master’s degree, it doesn’t feel like it is actually happening yet. My whole life, I have always tried to get ahead academically so I can start my career as soon as possible. Now that my plan is actually being put into motion, things are starting to feel a little too real.
Growing up, my parents were always extremely supportive and always gave me the resources I needed to get my plans into motion as early on as possible. Unlike my high school peers, I spent most of my high school years working on the first half of my bachelor’s degree instead of taking the same classes as everyone else. This, combined with the imminent COVID-19 pandemic, allowed me to get ahead academically and professionally. On the other hand, socializing has always been a struggle for me, and being online for most of high school and not being in the same classes as my peers definitely did not help my situation.
Once I got accepted to BGSU, I was sure things would be a lot different for me socially because of living on campus. While things were a lot different than in high school, I still felt myself falling into the same situations of not choosing the right people to hang around with. I was desperate for anyone who was willing enough to be my friend and to hang out with me, so I lowered my standards a lot more than I should have. My rigorous course schedule also created more challenges for me socially due to my busy schedule, along with having a job. It wasn’t until halfway through my second year at BGSU that I was able to set comfortable standards for myself when it comes to the individuals I choose to spend my time with. While this caused me to lose a lot of the people in my life, I have felt a significant weight off my shoulders ever since setting those boundaries for myself. Setting these boundaries for myself was not an easy thing by any means, but it has since made my life easier to navigate and helped me to form genuine connections with those who respect my boundaries.
With graduation quickly approaching, I am happy that I was able to form a few genuine connections with peers and faculty that I will take with me when I start graduate school during the summer. While I am sad that my journey at BGSU is coming to an end, I am excited for where graduate school will take me with my career and the connections I will make that will benefit and help me to advance my career in Psychology.
Don’t get me wrong, as much as I am excited for my life post BGSU, I am also extremely terrified at what the future may hold. Being the youngest person in my graduating class here at BGSU and being the youngest person in my graduate school cohort, I definitely have some fears regarding my age. While intellectually I know I am at the same level as those in my cohort, I am scared of my peers judging me solely based on my age. I have always had this fear, especially being a 14-year-old in college courses with people almost twice my age. I am constantly told to act more like an adult by my peers and my parents when it comes to academic and professional settings, but then when I stay out late hanging out with friends or come home very late in the evening; I am constantly told that I am too young to be acting so adult. In today’s society, I wish individuals were judged based on their abilities and maturity rather than solely thinking strictly about chronological age. I have met others my age who are in a whole different phase in their life, and I have met people younger than me who have their whole future planned out post high school.
Long story short, postgrad can be scary, but I am going to try and make the most of it, especially when it comes to proving myself to those around me solely judging me based on the fact that I am starting graduate school before my 20th birthday.
