There’s no question that college changes you. From the time you’re a freshman to your final year, you have become a completely different person. When senior year finally rolls around (whether it be 4, 5 or 6 years later), you’re a pro when it comes to school. Thus, the beginning of your senior year is significantly different than the beginning of freshman year.
1. You procrastinate going back to school
Most freshmen arrive to their college town early, like a week early. Granted, they have to move into their dorms and get acclimated to a new environment. But seniors, or at least the seniors I know, wait until the last possible minute to come back to college. If there’s one thing you’ve perfected by senior year, it’s procrastination.
2. You hit the snooze button 1,000,000 times
You probably couldn’t sleep the night before your first day of freshman year because you were too excited for the next day. You probably set your alarm really early to allow for hair and makeup so you could look really good. By the time senior year is here, you stop caring. Hair and makeup? How about a messy bun and chapstick if you’re lucky? Most seniors are hungover from the weekend because they were celebrating their last moments of freedom. You roll out of bed 10 minutes before the bus comes and pray you make it on time to class.
3. Sweatpants are the Holy Grail
When you were a freshman, you probably laid your clothes out the night before after trying on everything in your closet. In senior year, all cute outfits are replaced by sweatpants or whatever requires the least amount of effort. Because let’s be real, after class you’re going right back to sleep.
4. No new friends
Being a freshman is all about meeting new people and finding your clique. When you’re a senior, you’ve already found them and there’s no need to try and make a bunch of new friends. It takes a lot of the pressure off trying to impress people the first day of school because you already have a squad of your own. It’s a great feeling of security when you’re solidified in your group of friends.
5. Anxiety kicks in
Freshmen have the luxury of not having to worry about their future at the moment. They can consume their time with partying, meeting new people and just experiencing the thrill of being away from home. Your first day of senior year however is filled with questions that need to have answers by the end of the year, like: “What am I doing with my life?” “How will I be financially stable?” “Do I have to move back home?” “What if I don’t actually graduate?”
Even though the excitement you once had for the start of a new year turns into sheer panic and nervousness when you’re a senior, it’s okay because it is your last first day of school ever….unless you go to graduate school.
Savor it.