Senior year is finally here…And everyone who told me that these years would fly by were absolutely right. Already into October, it still hasn’t fully hit me that this is the beginning of the end of our college years.There are so many things that I’ve already realized about this final year – some good and some bad – but all that can be beneficial in the long run.
PRO: Smaller, More Focused Classes
Senior year means that you’re most likely getting a better idea of what you want to do after college, which means you’ll get the chance to take classes that are more specific and detailed. Depending on your major, upper-level classes are also much smaller, so it gives you a chance to better connect with classmates and professors. Smaller and more specific classes also mean that the level of difficulty is increased, which can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. These smaller & more intense courses allow us to further explore what it is that we want to do with the rest of our lives, so it is important to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities.
CON: Stress
With graduation upon us, it is normal to be freaking out about the future. It can feel like everyone around us has it all figured out, whether it is a clear career path, a job lined up, or acceptance into grad school. There is a lot of pressure that is put on college students nowadays, but senior year is definitely when stress is at its highest. Even when most people don’t know exactly what they want to do, it can seem like everyone around us has a perfect path to success, which adds an immense amount of pressure to discovering your own path. One good thing that can come from the constant stress is acquiring the skills to deal with it – for example, getting enough sleep and making lists to stay organized have helped keep my stress level down.
CON: Senioritis Still Exists
I thought Senioritis was only a thing in high school, but these past few weeks have proven otherwise. It has become increasingly hard to stay focused and motivated with graduation in the near future, even when it is probably the most important time to do so. To combat the challenges of being distracted, I tried to figure out what works best for me in terms of studying. For me, my best work gets done when I am alone, otherwise I can’t resist the urge to communicate with others. So for this to happen, I have to sacrifice time with my friends to seclude myself in my room or somewhere on campus so that I can stay on top of my schoolwork. This is definitely more challenging this year than it ever has been for me, because I want to make the most of my last year in college – but if you can manage your time correctly, you can beat the Senioritis, and become better for it in the long run.
PRO: Sense of Accomplishment
Where I grew up, going to college is just something that everyone does, so I’ve never really taken the time to understand the accomplishment of making it to my senior year. It takes hard work and focus, and graduation is going to be the physical outcome of all of it. It is easy to get wrapped up in the papers and exams and job search, but it is important to take a step back and truly appreciate what an achievement it is to get to this fourth and final year of college.
Senior year is going to fly by, there’s no changing that. The important thing is that we make the most of this year, by spending time with the people we’ve become closest with, and by finishing out our academic careers as strongly as we can.