It’s 10 p.m. on the Sunday night before spring quarter begins. You’re getting ready for bed and it hits you: tomorrow is the last first day of school you’ll ever have. Cue the waterworks and flashback montage of your first day of elementary school. How far you’ve come! How beautiful the journey has been! But how can you avoid falling into an emotional pit as you walk into your 8 a.m. tomorrow?
A few things to keep in mind:
You’re not the only person experiencing these feelings. Senior year of college is notoriously one of the weirdest phases of life, as you’re taking in the last moments of college life while simultaneously preparing for the next phase of adult life. For better or worse, everyone is in the same boat as you. No matter how collected and in control they seem above water, every other senior around you is feeling similarly overwhelmed and confused beneath the surface.
Know when to be alone. It can feel necessary to surround yourself with people all the time and spend as much time as possible with your friends. As wonderful as quality time with loved ones is, understand that this is a unique time in your life for you. You’ll never be this age again, with this much of life and the world ahead of you. Use intentional time alone to truly be with yourself and appreciate how much you’ve grown as an individual during these college years. Also, use time alone to take inventory of where you’re at on a deeper level. Inner peace and confidence is rarely more crucial than in times of significant change.
Sadness is inevitable. In the wise words of Winnie the Pooh: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” Being sad to leave a place indicates just how much it meant to you. Embrace the sadness, but also understand that it is always going to hurt to leave something important behind.
It’s not too late to try new things and meet new people. Yes, it’s important to savor the special places and people you’ve loved for a long time, but that doesn’t mean there’s no value in embracing new experiences. The friendships and connections made at the end of your college career can not only make for fun new adventures, they can help you transition into the next phase of life with a vibrant support system. You never know who can be either a professional connection or a friend also moving to your new city.
Don’t forget to stay present. As special as vlogs, disposable cameras and lots of goodbye selfies are, don’t forget to live in the moment. It can feel tempting to try to capture absolutely everything happening around you but in doing so, you risk losing that special quality of being fully grounded in a connection with people. Your kids will love your stories as much as your pictures. Cultivate deep connections in the moment.
This is both an end and a beginning. While the academic structure and regular routine of college life is ending, new doors are opening all around you. Use this time to make note of what things about college life work for you and don’t. Do you thrive off of routine or spontaneity? Do you enjoy living in an urban environment, or are you counting down the days until you’re not awakened by the noise of highway traffic? Both your joys and annoyances right now can be indicators into how to build your happiest life after college.
This is a special phase in your life, but so is every phase in its own way. Every door closing invites a window to open. Welcome to spring quarter, your life is just beginning.
