Graduating college and being thrown out into the real world is terrifying, let’s be honest. I have officially registered and enrolled in my last semester of college, and to say the least, I am freaking out.
The only difference with my situation, in comparison to the typical college track, is that I’ll be graduating in three years rather than four. When I enrolled at Florida State University, I knew that I was coming in with a lot of credit from classes I took during high school. I had absolutely no expectations of graduating early until my sophomore year when I spoke to my advisor and determined that three years just made the most sense for my academic career. The only issue with that is that I’m now reaching the end of my last fall semester and going into my final spring semester. I registered for my final classes as an undergrad student at FSU and have zero ideas how I am going to survive after this. Our campus is so beautiful, please let me sit by the blooming flowers forever.
I mean yes, maybe I am finally starting to gain clarity on what I want to do for a full-time job and what field I would prefer to be. I have been actively applying to jobs that begin in May which has been extremely difficult. The idea of rejection can be scary and I won’t get an offer from every job I want. While I might have an understanding of where I want to work and who I want to be working for, I am still consistently struggling with the idea of having a full-time job and fully being on my own. My parents have been the absolute biggest help for me with college, which I am extremely grateful for, but when I graduate in May I have a feeling I will be completely lost. If I am being honest with myself, financial stability is a huge factor in determining where I’ll be working and that scares me. I want to find a job where I don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck just to pay my rent. I make sure to stay in contact with multiple recruiters and companies and can only hope that one of them will be my perfect fit.
Other than my worries about post-grad, I sometimes start to worry that I did not make the most out of my time spent here at FSU and that maybe I should have just done the four years and made more memories. I’ve spent so much time worrying about keeping my GPA up in my last year and working my part-time job that I almost don’t give myself the time I need to detox and relax. I have not even made a single football game this semester, which honestly is something I am probably the least upset about (I’m sorry, but wow this season was sad). Below is a picture of my second year at FSU when I was still excited about our football team and I made my dog wear her jersey every game.
While I might wish that I had spent more time being on campus during my fall semester, I have to also understand that it was important for me to be working a part-time job for my professional advancements and to continue keeping up the good grades that I have worked so hard for. Inching towards my last semester I can only hope that I can make the absolute most out of my last few months at FSU. I have enjoyed every quick moment at my university and will forever be grateful for the new friends and memories I was provided with. Wish me luck while I cry entering a new life of adulting and professionalism!
All images courtesy of Renee Bram.
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