As I prepare to graduate from the University of Kentucky next Friday, I am filled with so many emotions. I never thought this day would come, but at the same time it came all too quickly. I remember freshman year move in like it was yesterday, and now it is crazy to think that I am in my final days as a student at UK.
These three and a half years have flown by and my thought process has been all over the place from the very beginning of the semester until now. My mind is in all different directions as I come to the realization that I will be an actual adult in a few weeks, which is a little scary, but also exciting. As a mentally prepare myself for graduation, I want to share with you the thought process I have had all semester on graduating.
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The “holy crap I am graduating and can not wait to get out of here” phase
At the start of the semester, I was ecstatic about graduating and the fact that I will be homework free forever after this year. I was filled with all kinds of excitement and joy. I just could not believe that graduation was only a few months away. Right away, I started planning my outfit for the commencement ceremony, what dress I would wear and the shoes I would wear and try not to trip in as I walk on stage to get my diploma.
I was so excited to take graduation pictures around campus and I was mapping out wear I would take them. This phase lasted for about a month, until I realized with graduation comes lots of change.
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The “OMG I am kind of freaking out because I am going to be a real adult with bills and responsibilities” phase
After the initial excitement of graduation, I started to get really anxious about entering the dreaded real world and being considered an actual full-time adult. With graduation comes scary things like bills, a real full-time job, no spring break or holiday breaks, no Fridays off and student loans. Realizing all these things will come almost immediately after graduation is pretty scary and actual very nerve racking.
During this phase, I was questioning whether or not I would be able to successfully tackle all these things and actually make it in the real world. After a few weeks of being super stressed out and anxious, I realized that if other people can do it, I can successfully take on the real world of adulthood too.
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The “bittersweet and nostalgic, I am really going to miss this place” phase
In the midst of being super excited and super nervous about graduation, I also felt a little bit of sadness about graduating. Over the past few years, I have gotten really comfortable at UK, I have found my place on campus and I have made so many amazing friends. It was a bittersweet feeling to know that I will have to say goodbye and leave the place that feels like a second home.
The realization of saying goodbye to my friends and to the school I love was a little saddening. I have felt a lot of nostalgia walking around campus and knowing that these are some of the final days I will have going to class, studying at Willy T, eating at the dining hall with friends and being a Resident Advisor.
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The “at peace with graduating” phase
After preparing myself for graduation and taking everything in this last semester of college, I think I am finally ready to graduate. I have finally found peace with all my rollercoaster of emotions these past few months. I think I will still continue to feel all these emotions, but the overall emotion I feel now is peace. I know I am ready to graduate from college and move on to bigger and better things. I have accomplished so much these past three and a half years and I have done everything I wanted to do in college.
Even though I am graduating and I will have to say goodbye soon, I will always have the memories of college to cherish forever and I know the friendships I have made will last a lifetime. I am ready to end this wonderful chapter of my life and start a new one!
Graduating college is a huge milestone and as you can see it comes with a rollercoaster of emotions. Throughout this last semester, I have been able to mentally prepare myself to graduate college and I know that feeling all of these emotions has really helped me grow as a person and feel ready to graduate.
Even though I am saying goodbye, I know that UK will always be my second home and I will always be a Wildcat!