Lately, I’ve found myself more anxious as my senior year approaches. It feels surreal how quickly my time at Stonehill College has flown by. One moment, I was moving into my freshman dorm, and now, I’m staring down the reality of graduation as I approach my last year of college. My mind spirals with endless questions: Will I find a job? Will it be something I actually enjoy? Should I go to grad school? Where will I live? Up until now, life had a clear path—elementary school, high school, then college. But now? The next steps feel like a vast, uncharted territory.Â
For so long, my main role in life has been being a student. My biggest concerns were balancing assignments, making it to class on time, and studying for exams. While those challenges felt overwhelming at times, they were familiar. I had a routine in which I felt I knew how to navigate. Now, I’m about to enter a world where I have to figure out taxes, health insurance, rent, and how to pay off student loans, all while trying to find a job that actually supports me. The transition from college to adulthood is no small feat. Suddenly, I’m supposed to have everything figured out. So many people tell me that I have plenty of time and I will figure out what I am passionate about in the next few years. That’s what your twenties are for, right? I don’t disagree, but that doesn’t erase the pressure to have it all figured out now. I want to trust the process, to believe that things will fall into place, but stepping into the unknown without a clear plan feels unsettling. I know I have time, but that doesn’t make the uncertainty any less daunting.
Graduation is bittersweet. It’s a celebration of all my hard work, but it also marks the end of a chapter that has provided structure and security. For years, college has been my safety bubble, filled with friends, professors, and a daily routine that made me feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Stepping outside of that is terrifying. The job market feels overwhelming, and the thought of not landing the perfect role, or any role at all, lingers in the back of my mind.
But despite the fear, there’s also excitement. Life after graduation is unpredictable, but that also means it’s full of potential. I don’t know exactly where I’ll end up, but I do know that the experiences I’ve had in college—both inside and outside the classroom—have prepared me for something bigger and I am excited to find out what that will be. It’s scary, but it’s also the start of something new. And maybe the most exciting parts of my journey are yet to come.