Reflections from a second semester almost-graduate
When I first came to college in 2020, I knew I was on track to graduate within 3 years. I came in with quite a number of high school credits and my majors were not very credit-heavy. I decided pretty early on that I was going to finish my degree a year earlier than my peers. After a couple of meetings with my advisors and numerous hours on the Course Search & Enroll website, I managed to set my schedule to successfully complete my degree by the end of this semester.Â
Graduating early means that I get to save a lot of money. As an international student, my tuition is astronomically higher compared to in-state kids, and being able to graduate a year early means that I save around $40,000 in school tuition. While I’m lucky enough to have my parents pay for my education, I know that finances are a huge deciding factor for a lot of my friends who are also graduating early. It also means I get to step into the working world much earlier and start receiving a full-time income, allowing me to be financially independent.Â
I also want to go to grad school, and graduating in 3 years allows me to get some work experience before going back to school. I get to take a little breather from the stress of school and work a little before diving into graduate school in a year or so. Cutting my undergrad short also means less time in school, which for some I’m sure is a huge win.Â
In addition, as much as I love Wisconsin, I’m ready to move out of the Midwest. The freezing cold isn’t for me, and I’m excited to move somewhere new and explore a different city. I’m applying to jobs mostly on the East Coast, where I get to be much closer to my family and see them more often. I also hope to live in a bigger city, where I can walk or take public transportation everywhere.Â
However, now that I’m in my last semester, everything is starting to hit me. In around four months I will be able to call myself a Badger alum. I’ve been to my last football game, my last first day of school, and my last Halloween in Madison. I look ahead and feel sad that come September 2023, I’ll be off working while my friends get to come back and see each other. I joke that I’ll come back often, but I know realistically that I would have to move on with my life, and that means moving on from Wisconsin as well.Â
As an early grad, I also get less time to explore different things in college, like career paths and activities. If I had another year of school, I would have an extra summer for internships, which I would use to explore different career options and try to pinpoint exactly what I want to do and where I want to work. The extra year could have also been used to join more clubs and try out new things, especially in a safe (and usually cost-free) environment.
I am also wrecked with nerves with the idea of moving on from college. There are a lot of anxieties that come with adulthood. For example, one of my biggest worries is making friends as an adult. Where do I find them without classes and student orgs? I also worry about figuring out who I am as a person without the structure of classes and school, and how my identity is shaped as a working adult.Â
I only have around three more months left at UW-Madison, and while I am nervous about what lies ahead of me, I choose to spend my last semester enjoying my time and making memories with my friends. While I’ll miss Wisconsin so much, I know that Madison will always be home to me and that I’m going to do big things in the world after graduation!