Joel Connors
Throughout my time in college, I have always had the goal of graduating, completing the journey I began 4 years ago, and getting my bachelor’s degree. There have been many ups and downs throughout my college career, but now it is beginning to come to an end. There are many things that I need to prepare for. These 4 years have been preparing me with the skills and experiencing that will give me the ability to achieve my goals in life. It can get overwhelming when you think about life after college, there are so Am I really prepared for the real world? Am I ready to be out on my own? Will I be successful? There are so many more questions students have. The article Questions to Ask Before You Leave College highlights many of them.
Come May, all these questions will have to be answered. So, am I really ready for graduation? It continues to get closer. Many students have a job lined up for after school finishes, but my advice to anyone else graduating in May is live up the last days of college with your friends. Looking back on my four years, I have met so many people that have helped shape me into the person that I am today. I have built friendships that I know will last after I take my cap and gown off, but once real-life responsibilities kick in, the friendships may fade. I agree with The Odyssey which writes that everyone needs to enjoy their last semester and gives examples of things to do before you graduate. Their article states that soon-to-be graduates should have fun and that it’s okay to not have everything already figured out. There are so many things that people miss about college life once they graduate, like access to free facilities and their social lives. But there is so much more. The Insider article captures everything that people miss;
- Being able to sleep throughout the day
- Being able to go out with friends
- Learning new things
- Having a summer vacation
- Living in dorms
The Odyssey article takes a holistic approach to senior year by encouraging students to spend quality time with friends and to cross things off their bucket list, while making sure to keep up with schoolwork.
Our parents will say it is time we need to start setting goals for our lives. While I agree, I know I want to take my time to enjoy the process. I also know goals mean we have an idea of what we want to achieve. We should start with goals that are professional or monetary but also move to more personal goals. These personal goals can be for your family as well as community goals. Having direction in life can be one’s greatest strength. For myself I have yet to decide my exact career path which raises many questions for myself about what is up next for me after St. Andrews. Asking yourself questions like this can bring stress as well as relief. Why? Because it helps me to understand what I want from myself. I have been pushing these questions off for months, graduation scares me. But part of life is growing up and asking yourself tough questions and putting ourselves in tough situations. Stepping out of our comfort zone allows us to grow. My parents continue to harp on me that I need to grow up and prepare myself for life after college, find a job and especially get myself to a point where I can move out of the house. Once you graduate there are many things that will hit students all at once that they should finish. Here is an article with some keys to success for plans after graduation.
Overall, getting ready for the real world is stressful, exciting, and scary. Leaving St. Andrews, a place that we have become comfortable with, a place that has made us able to achieve our goals in life. Many of us have begun to prepare for the real world, and we already miss the small things that really made college fun. Making the most of the last couple months on campus with your team, friends, coaches, and professors will make you remember all the good times that you had in college. We all take different paths to graduation even though it is a huge achievement. Here is a list of things to remember…
Remember Before you Graduate
- Enjoy your last months in college
- Finish your graduation audit
- Order your Cap and Gown
- Go through your stuff as you pack for keepsakes
- Update your LinkedIn Profile
About the Author
Joel Connors is a Canadian Senior at St. Andrews. He is a baseball player, studying Business Administration with a Marketing Concentration
References
10 things every college student should do before graduating. Herzing University. (2021, May 11). Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.herzing.edu/blog/10-things-every-college-student-should-do-graduating
Azusa Pacific. (n.d.). 5 graduation questions to ask before you leave college. Azusa Pacific University. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.apu.edu/articles/5-graduation-questions-to-ask-before-you-leave-college/
Maureen, N., University, M., Cameo, Hopkins, M. A., Randazzo, K., Martinez, G., News, P., Johnson, A., Barrett, M., Caramico, L., Palmieri, S., Atkinson, E., Zazueta, J., Shannon, K., Neuman, L., Lopez, T., & Purtymun, H. (2019, October 16). 7 ways to survive your Last Semester of college. The Odyssey Online. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/how-to-survive-your-last-semester-of-college
Shaw, G. (2019, June 12). Adults reveal what they miss the most about college. Insider. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.insider.com/best-things-college-adults-miss-2018-6#basically-everything-11
