Dear Seniors,
Remember when you were a kid and you watched Peter Pan all while thinking, ‘Is that a boy or a girl? Why don’t they want to grow up, are they weird?’ When you’re a kid, you’re just dying to be that 13 year old getting dropped off at the mall with straight hair and cool clothes giggling with your friends. But now, I’m about to bow down to Peter Pan because he (confirmed) had it all right. Maybe I should address this to Benjamin Button too. They would’ve been good friends.
When you’re young, growing up seems like the most fun and exciting experience ever. When you’re in fifth grade you’re all, “Yeah sixth grade!!!” and when you’re in eighth grade you’re just like, “Freshmen next year, omg we’re getting so old,” then come senior year of high school it’s so, “Get me the F out of this town.” Then, with what seems like the blink of an eye, you’ve reached your senior year of college and you’re feeling how I’m feeling. Completely scared and anxious and watching Disney channel just to keep your youth. Just me?
Now that I’m 21 and entering my senior year of college (gag), growing up is the last thing I want to do. I dread it. My heart is palpitating right now. I actually wasn’t freaking out until a couple of weeks ago when I was chugging along on my beverage cart at work serving golfers drinks and snacks and for some reason my heart fell out of my butt. I got this horribly sickening feeling because for the slightest moment I had what felt like the worst thought swoop through my brain. This time next year, I’ll be entering grad school. Breathe my friends, in and out.
Since then, I’ve tried to come up with coping mechanisms in order to keep myself from going off the deep end this year. My most effective one yet is denying that I’m even graduating and it’s working pretty well so far. Think the word graduation as being synonymous to Voldemort.
The truth though, fellow seniors, is that we’re actually, surprisingly, going to be OK. Although denying ‘that which shall not be named’ works for now, it would probably feel a lot better and more comforting to know we aren’t just heading into a black abyss of student loans and depression for the rest of our lives. We aren’t going to graduate and POOF! we are 45 years old with children working nine to five and 25 lbs heavier (last part questionable for most of us). The truth is, yes, we’re graduating and yes, we have to be ready for it – but just because we’ll have a degree collecting dust under our beds doesn’t mean we can’t go out on the weekends and drink a little drink and do stupid stuff with our friends. We aren’t just going to magically take up knitting and stock up on spam. We will still be young.
What I’m trying to say is, if you’re freaking the freak out like me, stop. There’s no need to flip because, in reality, not much is going to change. You will still be you, and beer will still be beer. What you can do right now is prepare. That doesn’t mean you have to stay in every night and perfect your resume and switch off practicing interviews with your roommates.
What you can do for now is sign up for Linked In, collect the info you need on applying to grad schools such as prices, deadlines, requirements, and start exchanging emails with people that can help you. You don’t need to derail your life to prepare, just take an afternoon to get your thoughts and plans in order. After that, though, go to The Pub because we’re seniors and despite the fact that we need to get ready for the rest of our lives we also have to cherish these last 9 months of college.
HCXO,
Sam