That moment is coming. You’ve been waiting for this important and special moment for all your years in university and it’s finally happening. You’re so close to the finish line. Your degree is almost over and you’re going to graduate from university soon!
Graduation is a huge tornado of emotions, decisions and thoughts. On the one hand, you’re done with school and you have an undergraduate degree in your pocket! On the other hand, school isn’t going to be there for you anymore and you’re going out into the real world with no idea what of what to do for the rest of your life. So here are a few reasons why graduating from university is both exciting and terrifying.
1. There will be some changes, for sure
Both positive and negative changes will come with graduating from school. We’re used to getting up for classes, studying all the time, and seeing our friends almost every day. After you graduate? All of that will change.
You don’t have to wake up for 8:30 classes anymore, and you will find yourself going to work or looking for a job, or doing something different besides going to class every day. No more tests! No more having to stay in the library so late!
But then again, there probably won’t be more study dates and coffee dates with your friends because they’re gone after graduation: either returning home, travelling or going on to graduate school, or they still finishing their undergrad.
It can feel a bit weird hearing some of your friends talk about future classes when you’re almost done with school. Even worse, you’re suddenly expected to grow up right away and become an independent and functioning adult after you’re done with school when you still feel like the opposite. Plus, going out in the working world and looking for a job is honestly the worst. If you find yourself struggling to find a job after you graduate, then you’re not alone—it’s honestly one of the most soul-crushing changes that comes along with being an adult after graduation. So change will come with graduation, whether you like it or not.
2. You’re changing even before you actually graduate
Earlier in university, I was more of a party animal, always loving to go out and go wild on the weekends. Toga party? I’m in! Clubbing on a Thursday night? Done. But once it dawned on me that I was graduating in the next few months, I realized that I had so many obligations and I had to grow up a bit faster.
I felt so much more stressed and overwhelmed with everything happening at once that I actually took more naps on the weekends and decided to stay in more often and focus on my schoolwork and myself. I also realized that I was getting a bit tired of the partying stage and that I was kind of outgrowing several of my friends and acquaintances on several different aspects of life.
Now, I still like to go out and have fun, but when your graduating GPA and your chances of being admitted to graduate school or any other postgraduate programs is on the line, and getting tipsy at a frat house on a daily basis becomes much less appealing, then you’ll probably find yourself stepping back a little and staying in more to focus on more important priorities.
But the positive side of things is that you’re also changing into a person with different priorities and passions, and you become more comfortable with yourself as time goes on. When I sit down and reflect back on all the years I’ve spent at my university, I realize that I’ve definitely changed a lot in so many different ways and that I grew as a person over the years. Because of this, even if I change in how I decide to act and think, I’m excited to see what kind of person I’ll change into after graduation. Yes, sometimes you can feel like you’re changing too much and it can be weird sometimes, but as my mom says, you have to embrace what you’re turning into and let life happen to you.
3. You can choose what to do afterwards and nobody can stop you
Seriously, when you graduate and go out in the real world, you’re free to do whatever you want. You already decided to go to school (most likely due to your parents’ expectations), and now you have a degree in your pocket from all the time and hard work you put into it.
By this time, you have grown from that awkward first year phase to being a slightly more self-assured, independent and confident adult with the power to decide what to do for yourself. You can choose to go to work, or apply to graduate/medical/law school straight afterwards. Or you can take a break for yourself and go on some exciting travels all over the world!
Personally, I discovered that if I decided to take a year off and not go straight to graduate school like most people expected me to, nobody really got upset or disappointed. Rather, they said that I worked so hard that I deserve a break! So having the opportunity to finally find yourself and pick what you want to do after you’re done with school is definitely exciting!
4. On the other hand, you will likely have no idea what to do at this moment
Honestly, when I first started university, I expected to know what I wanted to do right after I graduated. After five years and now going through my last month and a half at university, I still have no idea what exactly I want to do afterwards.
It’s terrifying to feel like you’re supposed to know what you’re going to do and then realize that you still don’t know what exactly to do right now. I was expecting to be still be finishing my undergrad right now, so I could have some time to prepare to apply to different programs at different schools, but it felt so overwhelming. So many different possible options and paths are throwing themselves towards you, and you just want to stop and say, “Okay, leave me alone for a second!”
I have come close to breaking down on several occasions this term, because I am a person who is usually more comfortable with routines and planning, and coming to a life stage that suddenly has no defined plan is so tough and definitely not fun. So being clueless about what to do after graduation can be a little terrifying: there are so many different paths after graduation that you can get lost and confused about what to do.
5. No more tests and studying!
This is arguably one of the most exciting things about graduating from university. I always felt so stressed out with studying and writing tests, so finally being done with tests, studying, papers and assignments feels so, so sweet. Also, no more pesky and stressful group projects! And honestly, we should be proud of everything we have done throughout the years, with all our hard work and tears that got us through all the stressful tests, assignments and projects. That definitely makes the process of finally graduating even sweeter.
6. It brings a lot of things out, including life decisions and emotions
Before I wrote this article, I was hoping to postpone graduation by one more year in order to complete a co-op program, but getting a co-op placement didn’t work out and I suddenly found myself faced with two choices. I had four classes left in my degree, and I could either: 1) postpone doing the classes and graduation, find other work and then somehow finish the remaining co-op terms or, 2) transfer from the co-op program, apply for graduation early and do the last four classes.
Now, I really hate the feeling of quitting something, and I put hard work and time into looking for a co-op placement. However, I also wanted to be done with my degree and move on, so while I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t resume and complete my co-op program to get the full credits on my degree, I was still excited to finally finish and get my degree after all the hard work and tears.
Graduation can bring out a whole set of emotions, too. First of all, you’re so excited and happy that you’re done with school and you’re eager to see what happens in the near future! But you will be sad that you’re leaving a familiar environment that you basically called home for the last few years, and you’re either leaving behind your friends or your friends are leaving you behind. And obviously, you can feel so scared and nervous about the uncertain future.
Furthermore, if you happen to realize that you’re outgrowing some of your friends, that also can bring out some negative emotions, too. You feel like you’re getting old and boring, but you’re also feeling like you’re ready to move on from some of the people you basically met and grew up with throughout your university years, which really sucks sometimes. So you might have to make tough life decisions when you’re facing the possibility of graduation, and emotions will come out in full. You will both laugh and cry at your convocation ceremony, I promise.
7. Graduation opens a new chapter for you
Duh. Obviously, graduating from university is basically closing a chapter in your life, but the most exciting part of everything about graduating is that there’s another new chapter open for you to write in your life! Enjoy everything that comes with graduation, because you deserve it.
Bonus terrifying reason: Paying back student loans
Being in debt and having to pay back student loans are the worst.
Bonus exciting reason: All the graduation parties and pictures
We worked too hard not to celebrate at the end, and we have the chance to actually look decent in pictures, for once. Cheers to us!