I feel like I just moved into my freshman dorm room yesterday. You mean to tell me that I am supposed to pack up everything and leave now? After everything we’ve been through? This might be my worst breakup yet! As each day of senior year passes by, I can’t help but wonder if I’m soaking up the final moments as much as I should. I love to appreciate campus by putting my phone away as I walk to class, but any time I stay home on a Saturday night, the senioritis FOMO hits different.
Senior year is so confusing. One minute I’m cramming for an exam and the next minute I am ordering my cap and gown in the middle of the Where Else dance floor as Bruce roasts me for being on my phone. Half of me wants to study my butt off to make sure there’s no risk that I won’t graduate on time, but the other half of me wants to go out and have fun while I am still a college student.
Not only do seniors have to balance studying and going out, they also have to prepare for their next steps. What college student has the time for job applications and interviews? If I focus on job applications, I won’t have enough time to study. If I don’t study, I won’t pass exams. If I don’t pass my classes, I can’t graduate. If I can’t graduate, I can’t work! I occasionally log on to LinkedIn for networking, yet I can’t help but feel behind the eight ball when I see that my peers have already accepted incredible job offers. As much as I know that comparison is useless, LinkedIn makes it hard to not wonder whether you’re doing the right thing!
Even if I do get a post-grad job offer, do I really want to dive into the workforce the day I graduate from college? Do I want to rush into my future knowing that I’ll never have another summer break in my life? Or should I take a month or two for myself?
I am finally settled in at Purdue and now I’m really expected to pack my bags and rebuild my entire life elsewhere? How am I supposed to pick one place? Do I follow my dreams and live in a big city, or stay at home where I feel most comfortable? Do I live alone and risk feeling lonely when I am far from everyone and everything I’ve ever known?
This article is quite dramatic, I can’t lie. Everything works out as it is meant to (heck, I spent my first 2.5 years at Purdue in pre-pharmacy and am somehow going to graduate on time… as a marketing major). If you are a senior who is stressing about their future, or if you are dwelling on the past, my Instagram DMs are always open (@sillysnorin). You are SO not alone! Let’s enjoy our last few months of college by living in the moment.