The Circus Act – a.k.a. Senior Year

It is senior year for some of us and that usually means a time of reflection. When we look back at our time at Merrimack, what will we remember? Did we spend enough time doing what we needed? College can feel like a three-ring circus sometimes and while we could certainly compare some of our days (and nights) to circus life, is that how we see ourselves as college graduates?  

Do we see ourselves as those who walk the tight rope, high above the crowd, and nervously step one foot in front of the other? The tight ropewalkers are the students who are so nervous about grades that they are not enjoying time with friends. You might be thinking about securing that “perfect job” so much that you’re not pursuing what your true happiness might be. In reality, as those students get settled into their jobs, they will wish they spent less time worrying and more time living up to senior year expectations.

Maybe you are the clown or the party animal that entertains the crowd. These students put on happy faces day after day. They may be constantly following others, which can get exhausting aftertime. The clowns are the ones who may never get to know anyone because they are known as the entertainment. They might look back and wish they had taken off their makeup to let people see their real face.

Or after graduation, you may realize you were just in the audience and wish you were a part of the circus. But maybe being in the audience is just where you want to be…taking in the excitement from afar. 

We all might be the juggler under the big tent. Trying to juggle our part time jobs, internships, classes, and senior social life. Internally, we are balancing our emotions as we prepare for the next phase of our lives. On the outside we act excited, but it is incredibly overwhelming to think about the possibilities of our lives ahead.

We need to realize that in the end, it’s ok because the circus needs a tight ropewalker, a clown, a juggler, and an audience. And just like a circus, Merrimack has offered us different choices. Each of us may have chosen differently and even changed paths along the way, but we all have had a place here under Merrimack’s big tent. Let’s enjoy our last show together!