First of all, congratulations on making it to your final semester of your undergraduate career at WSU! Take a moment to just think about that. Endless hours of studying, bottomless cups of coffee, many tears, countless laughs, and handfuls of new friends have gotten you to the point you are at now. This final semester of school has you feeling a jumble of emotions, but know you are not alone, fellow Warrior.
Confused:
You have been going to school for about 16 years of your life. Imagine that: about three-fourths of your life so far has been spent in classrooms. You have been exposed to thousands of lessons, multiple subjects, and many different teaching styles. All you have ever known has been a predictable schedule, homework assignments, and listening to lectures. While you have had ample time to prepare for your departure from the world of school, you can’t help but feel confused as to what you are supposed to do next. When everything is not lined up in front of you, what path is it that you are supposed to take? How do you face the “real” world?
Excited:
At this time, you feel as though you have spent too much of your life studying for tests and not enough time actually living. You can’t wait to get out of school and on to chasing your dreams. The possibilities of where you will go and what you will do excite you more than anything. You know that you made the most of your classes here at WSU and that you are ready to put your class work into action and land a job. The thought of growing up doesn’t really scare you anymore. It just inspires you.
Fearful:
Scratch that, you are secretly a little terrified! How can you possibly go from the classroom to the office successfully? It is hard not to think about the difficulty of finding a job and starting to pay off your student loans. Everyone tells you about all the different paths you can take, but how will you know which one is right for you? You are scared of moving away from the familiar, from your friends, from this city. You wonder if you are ready for the next chapter of your life or if you will ever be.
Sentimental:
Wait, you mean I don’t have to register for any classes in the fall? Picking out classes and watching the number of seats tick down stressed you out, but it was kind of fun, right? You have started to feel weird attachments to places and things in Winona, like Garvin, the lakes, good ol’ Darrell Krueger Library, and the Rubio’s truck. These have become staples to your time here in Winona and you can’t quite picture your life without them. Your heartstrings tug the most thinking about all of the friends you have made here. From feeling so alone that first week of freshman year to feeling like you have never felt so included amongst a friend group before. These are the people your heart aches to leave, but it also smiles knowing they will be your friends forever. Winona has become much more than a small city tucked between the bluffs and the river; it has become your home.
As you venture through these last four months of your undergraduate college career remember to make the most of them. Take in all of the beautiful surroundings, absorb the wisdom of your professors, and cherish the time with your friends.