Walking into Morgan Hall on move-in day August 2015, today felt lightyears away. Today I woke up at 7 a.m. for the very last time to register for classes at Temple University. 17 credits stand between me and the “REAL WORLD.”
I am going to graduate college in 6 short months and will need to put my degree to use as a working professional. I will have to say goodbye to my friends. I will have to move back in with my parents. I do not think that I am the only senior having that OMG moment where they realize their time in college is running out and that they feel the need to figure out the rest of their life. Are you seeing stars too?
I would compare my current state to one of panic as a million questions run through my head:
When should I start applying to jobs?
Where should I apply to jobs?
Do I have enough internships?
Will I pass my capstone course?
Do I take off a year to travel?
When will I start paying back my loans?
Given the fact that I am in my senior year getting ready to graduate, I have gotten a lot of advice on how to spend my last year of college instead of living in a constant state of fear of the unknown. A lot of it has helped me and I think it is very worth sharing.
1. Go out on a weekday with your friends.
I know I have had one of those nights when all my friends were going out on a Tuesday to celebrate my roommate’s birthday and I was forced to stay in because I had a quiz or a paper due the next day. Go. Have fun. You may have to wake up early the next day to do some work, but your paper will get done, you will pass the class and now you will have irreplaceable memories. You will not look back on your college career and remember the countless theories or equations you studied that night, but you will look back and remember your friend’s birthday.
2. No employer is going to care if you withdrew from a class.
If you withdrew from the class your most likely had a good reason. Sometimes you just took on a little more than you could handle. Sometimes you’re taking a lot of difficult classes at one time. Sometimes something going on in your personal life is more important. You’re human.
3. Self-care and mental health are more important than going out every weekend or attending every networking event.
No matter what your commitments may be, it is OK to take a break one night and pay attention to yourself. Mental health is important. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle of senior year but take some time for you. Do something you love that feeds your soul. You can worry about the other things tomorrow.
This blog post was written by Brianna Greco, Conference Coordinator.