How To Cure Your Case of Senior Year Jitters
It’s hard to believe that as this year begins, it’s going to be some of our last here at UNH. I can remember the day I moved into Christensen like it was yesterday, so it’s scary to think that it’s been three years since then. When I first got to UNH three years ago, I had no idea where I wanted to go with my life. I have a slightly tighter grasp on my future than I did then, but panic still sets in once I start to think about the fact that in a year I’ll be released from my beloved UNH into the “real” world.
As a natural over-thinker/over-analyzer, the fact that I have absolutely NO idea what I’m going to be doing in a year is going to cause some anxiety. And in my experience, once you start getting worried, it’s hard to stop. So when I started formulating doubts like: I’m never going to find a job… I’m going to freeze up in all my interviews… everybody else knows exactly what they’re doing and what they want except me… it was pretty hard to stop. But eventually I decided I had to stop being dramatic and calm myself down, and I learned a few things in the process.
You aren’t alone. The first thing I did when I started feeling anxious about senior year was talk to my friends, which made me realize how wrong I was in convincing myself that everybody else had some great life plan mapped out. One of my friends still can’t decide what major she wants, one can’t decide if she wants to go to grad school or not, one wants to take a year off because the idea of getting a real job is so scary. Realizing that I wasn’t the only one without a job lined up, or an interview scheduled with my dream employer helped me feel more secure about the place I was in.
Pretty please?
Don’t compare yourself to others. It’s easy to look at the girl who has already secured her dream job for when she graduates, but you have to remember that everybody’s different. You don’t have to figure out your life plan at the same time your friend does. Don’t rush it. Wait for the time and opportunity to be right for you.
You have time. You don’t have to plan your life in a day. Take a little time each day to look at your options or talk to a professor/alumni to ask your questions. Spreading it out will help you avoid the dramatic moments and make the process less overwhelming.
Don’t forget to relax and have fun. It’s your senior year, it only happens once, don’t let it pass by while worrying about the future!
Instead of focusing on the big question marks swimming around in your head, try to focus on the amount of opportunities that are available to you. We all have our moments where we’re a little freaked out, but make sure you don’t miss the exciting moments of finding your path for the future.