Have you ever had those moments in which you are excited for the future but then at the same time you are quite nervous about what the future holds for you? Yeah, me too. As a current senior moving into my final two semesters at my university, I am super excited about graduating and moving forward within my life and my future career. However, the post-undergrad jitters are finally kicking in and I would guess, in terms of high school, it would be the final moments in your high school days maybe a week or so before being done with high school as a whole. In some cases, these post-grad jitters – or any type of jitters in general – usually stem from, for me at least, planning five steps ahead into any type of life-fulling project that can either benefit in the long run or be a teaching moment for the future.
Living in this COVID-19 era has put a lot of things into a certain perspective. For example, the Class of 2020 did not have fulfilling graduation compared to the classes before them and I guess now when looking at the future classes following 2020; would those classes have fulfilling graduation compared to classes of 2017, 2018, and 2019? Another thing that was put into perspective throughout this entire pandemic was freedom. What do you mean by freedom? Let me explain. Within our pre-pandemic lives, there were outdoor concerts and conventions like Coachella and South by Southwest. There were parties and large gatherings; hanging out with friends, seeing people and traveling to places, and experiencing old and new things, but now, in today’s age, it is not the same. Now there are restrictions that are in place that will help bring us back to normality but even if society returns back to that normality, it would not be the same. I remember seeing this post that was like “take me back to Summer of 2016” and I laughed but then at the same time, I felt a sense of nostalgia because the summer of 2016 was one of the best summers ever.
So, about that degree. Honestly, I personally feel even while earning my degree in a pandemic, there are many things that can still be achieved but it would not be as achievable as it was prior to the pandemic. When I graduate in December, I will be getting a degree in International Studies and by the name of it, it is mainly the study of international countries and their relationship with other nations. There are many things that my degree can take a person within the United States, however, potentially, the experience would be better abroad. For those who are also graduating before, at the same time, and after me, it will be a brand-new experience for them due to the fact that society is currently in a societal shift where it is changing and adapting to anything and everything. I guess, in reality, for this chapter in everyone’s life, the jitters that were mentioned earlier will be present constantly whether it be from a new job, moving to a different country, state, or city, or just due to life in general. In retrospect, I truly do not think that someone can “master” anything – technically you can but in this example, you cannot but it does not hurt to try.
While reflecting on what my 2 years at my current university have been, it was a fun experience that helped me understand who and where I am currently in my life. Those jitters, or anxiety at this point helped me experience many new things that will benefit me in the long run; personally, and academically. I truly believe that everything that people experience in life was a learning experience that will help them achieve greatness in the long run and the jitters that people experience are one of them. You cannot master the post-undergrad jitters; you can just learn from them and move on towards the future.