Dear Whoever Needs to Hear This,
The fall is a difficult time of year to be in college. It is difficult for a number of reasons, but they may be a little different depending on where you are in your college career. I am graduating in the spring of 2020 and this fall has been one of the hardest. I typically consider myself low-stress. I obviously stress about certain things but I am not generally stressed-out. My classes are incredibly challenging and the pressure of passing in order to graduate on time is always in the back of my head but for some reason, classes seem to be the only thing that I feel somewhat comfortable with right now.
There is also the constant worry that I won’t find a job before I graduate, wondering if graduate school is the right move for me, figuring out where I want to move, and trying to grasp the idea of leaving my closest friends after graduation. The unknown of what will come after graduation is one of the biggest stressors I’ve encountered through my time in college. It almost reminds me of the stress that I felt freshman year, right after moving in and before I made any real friends. Uncertainty.
This time in our life is challenging and confusing. You may not even think you’re that stressed but you may be struggling in other parts of your life due to this lingering feeling of uncertainty. This stress can manifest in many different places, including our relationships, work-life, and even physical health. I had no idea what was causing me to feel so uneasy in everything that I was doing and feeling until I realized that the idea of senior year has been sitting in the back of my mind for months now. Sound familiar?
Fall is a time of transition. I am beginning to transition into someone who is ready to graduate. Someone who is determined and ready to grab “real life” by the horns. What’s so stressful about this time of transition is that we know the end-goal but we are not there yet. We are not that person yet. We don’t know what that feels like or looks like, we just know we are going to get there.
One last note: This is going to look different for everyone. There is nothing and no one that says we need to have all of the answers before/by the time we graduate. You don’t NEED to have a job lined up, graduate school or a new city to move to. There is pressure to become immediately successful after graduation but I promise it will all work out, even if you take your sweet time.
I hope that this letter helps someone realize that they are not alone. I also hope it helps someone realize the importance of taking a look at what areas we struggle with in our lives and figuring out WHY. You may be shocked (I was).
Love,
Julia