Being a senior at OU (or any college I imagine) is completely overwhelming because it is the last year before getting kicked out into the real world. I did not imagine that being a senior would make me feel as old as I do and I definitely did not account for the range of emotions I would go through on a weekly basis. Coming into senior year, I thought that everything would be the same as previous years– except with a little bit of an edge because it was my final year. I quickly came to find out that I was wrong and that there are many emotional stages associated with being a senior.
1. The first stage is rolling onto campus with the “I’m a boss” mentality. Finally we are the top dogs on campus and we know exactly how we want this last year to go.
2. Wait– senior classes are hard? Yes. The professors are getting seniors ready for the real world and do not care that we would rather drink away our sorrows than do homework.
3. “Are you sad?” is a question everyone suddenly asks you. The answer is simple: Hell no! I do not want to ever grow up or pay back all of the debt I have racked up over the past four years!
4. Then there is the any excuse to party phase. It happens when your friend convinces you to go out by explaining that this is the last time you will ever be able to get drunk off of $1 tequila shots on a Tuesday and not have to worry about going to work.
5. There is a point when you notice that you are easily one of the oldest people in the bar because you can handle your alcohol. The under-agers suddenly stick out to you and look like they are 15 years old.
6. There is a stage where you are ready for a real job after graduation because then you will have real money. No more scraping by paying for food with change!
7. After feeling the excitement about getting a real job you will remember that a job means no more taking naps in the middle of the day or sleeping in until noon. You will question how in the world you will make it from nine until five when even one class is mentally exhausting.
8. At some point or another you will hit a slump where the thought of waiting in line for a drink with 100 of your closest sweaty friends at the bar does not sound appealing, especially when wine is $4 and your roommates’ company is free.
9. People will ask you a million times what you want to do with your life. Cue existential crisis over getting a job, working for a good company, getting into grad school or just about any other future plans.
10. Then you remember that you have one more year at Ohio University and no matter what happens you will always be a Bobcat. There is nothing better than that!
No one prepared me for all of the thoughts and emotions senior year had in store. It is important to remember to enjoy every second of senior year, mental breakdowns and all. Do not worry it is definitely the best year yet to come.
(All gifs courtesy of giphy.com)
(Cover photo courtesy of ohio.edu)