This is it – One last ride.
As I finish my last first week of being an undergrad, I begin to grow anxious but excited about the future. I realize this is my last chance to do anything I want, get involved, and have fun before the stress of the real-world.
Being a second-semester senior is definitely scaring me a bit right now – between juggling classes, an internship, a part-time job, leadership roles, and job applications, life is getting tough. Even though I don’t technically have to start applying for jobs until mid-way through my last semester, I can’t help but look at job boards every day. I’m a nervous person, what can I say? I want to make sure there are opportunities out there for me and that I will be okay in the end.
There are a few goals I’ve set for myself to ~hopefully~ accomplish in my last semester. One of the most important things I want to focus on is relaxing. Last semester was taxing on both my physical and mental health. I was taking 15 credits, all of which were high-level English courses. Pretty demanding, I must say; however, it did pay off at the end, which makes me so proud of myself. Anyway, I figure this semester I obviously will still work hard, but I won’t put too much pressure on myself anymore. The stress isn’t worth it, so let’s hope I take my own advice this time.
Another goal of mine is to finish strong. I don’t want to slack off because I’m graduating – I want to earn my degree. I want to feel proud of my work and the effort I put in throughout school. I know what I am working for and towards – a successful life for myself and my family. For me, that’s the only motivation I need to conclude my school career strong.
The third and most important goal of mine is to focus on my resume. I have plenty of resume drafts that I’ve submitted for school projects, as well as for job and internship positions. This time, I need to work on it more thoughtfully. Resume creation is a crucial step towards a career, and I want to spend time showcasing my skills and demonstrating how qualified I am for my dream profession. The sooner I polish my resume, the earlier I can start researching and applying for the right jobs.
My last goal is to look back on how far I’ve come in the past four years. There isn’t much, but I’m grateful for the chance to have attended college and find my passion. In my first two years of college, I attended Brookdale Community College. While in school, I worked the entire time.
Once I graduated and transferred to Monmouth, I was ready to find that “college experience” everyone talks about. Even though COVID stole my university-level college experience, I am grateful for all I’ve accomplished in my last two years of school. I participated in extracurriculars I never thought I would ever do, and I made lifelong friends that I adore.
Overall, life at Monmouth has been pretty great. But now, I am ready to close this chapter and start my next one as a full-time professional.