Signing up for commencement is one of the most bittersweet moments that UCSB students go through. Although we are only halfway through the year, graduation is quickly approaching stirring up all sorts of emotions within us. Here are the top 5 feelings UCSB students experience when graduating:
1. Shock
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Wait… you mean we won’t live steps away from the beach and our future homes might not come with an ocean view? After four years of being steps away from the beach it comes as quite a shock that we won’t be in this beautiful location next year. Furthermore, Isla Vista has a culture of its own that cannot be found anywhere else. Del Playa is one of the most unique streets around. Where else can you live where you stroll down the street and see welcoming students playing games and listening to music in their yards?
2. Excitement
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Graduation is the end of a chapter in our lives. It’s exciting to enter the real world and begin a new chapter of our lives! Graduating from UCSB fills us with excitement about the future, whether we are continuing our education or starting our career.
3. Fear
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This emotion is dominantly felt throughout most seniors at UCSB. Entering the real world is scary. How do we start our careers and find a job? How can we support ourselves? How do we pay off our loans? Entering the adult world comes with plenty of fears. Just remember that we all have a strong support system and can always ask others for advice or help!
4. Sad
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Just the thought of leaving this beautiful place makes us sad. We make some of our closest and lifelong friends during college. It’s going to be an adjustment not living walking distance from your friends. The thought of not seeing them as often as we do now puts us in a funk. We also experience feelings of sadness when thinking about leaving our home (UCSB and Isla Vista) of the past four years.
5. Nostalgia
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This feeling will stay with us long after we leave UCSB. For the rest of our lives we will feel nostalgic about the time we’ve spent here and how UCSB has shaped us as a person. Our time at UCSB has left a lasting impact in our hearts and we will always look back at this time with fondness and sentimentality.
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College is the best four years of your life! However, keep in mind that we still have six months left. Don’t look back on your time here and be filled with regret. Let’s make the most of our time we have left!