Nothing is more stressful and joyous than your senior year of college. On one hand, you’re so close to seeing your future fall into place that you can practically taste it, but the idea of leaving behind a place you’ve spent four or more years at can be scary. If there’s anything I can say about my last year of college so far, its that it’s a weird mix between trying to squeeze in as many last-minute new experiences as I can, while also counting down the days until I can officially say my time taking midterms and finals is in the past. Here are eight bittersweet moments you’ll only relate to if you’re going through your senior year of college.
- Having your last first day of school and feeling super emotional about it
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While the freshmen on campus might have been crying from embarrassment after walking into the wrong class on the first day, I was crying because I knew it was the beginning of the end to an amazing couple of years I’ve had as a college student.
- Filing your Intent to Graduate
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Colleges and universities have to know you’re planning to graduate a semester in advance. This is a huge reality check that makes you realize just how soon it is until you’re walking across that stage to receive your degree. If you’re like me and don’t like to commit to things that are more than a day out in advance, it can be hard to put your name down on that list of future graduates.
- Attending some of your last college games and events as a student
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There’s nothing like that feeling of belonging you get when you’re surrounded by a huge number of people who are cheering on the same sports team as you. School spirit is something that is so unique and personal to each college, but it definitely makes or breaks your overall experience as an undergrad. If you’re someone who thrives off of football games and other college sporting events, the last few games you get to attend as a student will hit hard.
- The thought of leaving friends who are younger than you behind when you graduate makes you sad
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The friends you make in college can come from all different walks of life, have a completely different major than yours, and even be younger or older than you are. In college, you rarely notice or care about these things, until you’re one of the few in your friend group graduating. This might make you start thinking about all the things you could miss out on once you leave.
- Starting your first (or last) internship
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Internships are an exciting glimpse as to what life might be like after college, but it can also be extremely stressful. As someone who just started their senior year of college and their first internship at the same time, I’ve gone through several emotions and feelings during these last few weeks. There might be a love-hate relationship with this resume-boosting experience, but at least we can spend our last year of college being a professional girl boss and looking cute while doing it.
- Shopping for a “real” apartment that’s not on campus or student affiliated
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Don’t get me wrong, I loved sharing a room with my best friend during my freshman year of college and couldn’t have asked for a better roommate situation. But one thing I’m glad I never have to do again is live in a small, smelly and cramped dorm. Living in an apartment with roommates is just a fancy version of a dorm, but at least you don’t have to worry about an RA getting on your case for having a toaster oven in your room or lighting a candle.
- Thinking about how you’re going to decorate your cap and gown
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Or, let’s be honest, overthinking it. If you’re someone who sucks at making decisions like I am, it might take you all of senior year to decide on an Instagram-worthy design. Just remember that this is something that should be fun, not stressful!
- Looking back at your pictures from freshman year and wondering how in the world the time passed by so fast
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Looking at pictures of your younger self might be the most bittersweet moment of them all, regardless of whether you’re a senior in college or not. It’s fascinating to see the growth you can have over the span of just a few years and see how much you’ve changed for the better (especially in the wardrobe department).
While you might feel unprepared and scared to enter the “real world,” you should also be excited about the upcoming changes that are going to happen! Life can take you to amazing places after graduation, and even though it might be sad to leave one chapter behind, there are many more adventures to come.