I had my spring advisement with my academic advisor last week. I went in expecting to just review my courses and prepare for next year. Maybe we would discuss my long term plan, but I’m only a freshman so that seemed far away.
Instead, I left the meeting feeling more stressed and overwhelmed than when I had entered.
Apparently because I overachieved so much in high school I have 50 some credits, meaning that in the eyes of the university I am a sophomore.
My advisor was telling me about starting to look for internships and that I could graduate during the end of my junior year or my fall semester of senior year.
I sat during the meeting, smiling and nodding with what he had to say. Inside, I was having a full-blown panic attack.
I don’t want to graduate after three years and cut my college experience short. I want to graduate with my friends and have the full experience.
I’m not ready to be thrust into adult life, having to worry about finding an apartment, people to live with, and a job. These are my last carefree years and I want to enjoy them.
So now as cliche as it sounds, I’m at a crossroads. I could graduate a year early, save some money, and have to figure out my entire future. Or I could stay the extra year, have my advisor question my life choices, waste some money, and enjoy my freedom a little bit longer.
I think I’m going to stay the extra year. I am now considering adding a double major to increase my required credits and make it a little less weird that I didn’t graduate early.
Currently, I am a Professional Writing major with two minors in Spanish and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies. If I double major, I will major in Professional Writing and Spanish while keeping my WGS minor. I think those majors would compliment each other and I enjoy them both immensely.
Whatever I decide, I’m going to do what I want to do. Not what my advisor, my parents, or anyone else wants me to do. This is my life and I am going to take it one day at a time.
Who cares if I have nothing figured out right now?