Getting one’s cap and gown prior to graduation is a must (Charlotte Lao/The Daily Campus)
For myself and many other UConn students, this is the final month of college. Four whole years of being an undergrad, living off of microwavable meals and getting approximately four hours of sleep every night, will finally come to an end. Though graduation is usually seen as a happy and exciting thing, it also comes with a lot of stress. What are we going to do after we graduate? What if we don’t find a job right away? What if we have to live at home for a few more years? Is all of that okay?
To answer those questions and probably many others you may have is, it will be okay. It’s all going to be okay. Most people don’t have a full-time job in their desired field right after they graduate from college. Most people need to live at home for a while after graduating to get themselves financially stable enough to move out on their own. It takes time, and that’s okay. The pressure put on all college graduates almost makes graduating feel like a negative thing. Yes, we’ll be done with lecture hall classes, trips to the library to print and finals week insanity. But we’ll be able to go out into the world and pursue a job that we’re actually passionate about. Our schedules will be filled with things we hopefully enjoy doing instead of things we’re forced to do.
One of my biggest concerns is getting a job that makes me truly happy. In most fields, you have to work your way up to get to where you want to go. This is why it’s okay to work a few different jobs that may not be your true passion in order to get your foot in the door. Even if you have to work a few jobs to be financially independent, that’s still a great route to take. Making sure you can fully support yourself is the first step to creating your own life. Get as much work and experience as you can while you’re still fresh out of college.
Lastly, make sure that in this last month, you spend as much time as possible with your friends. Once you get out of here, adult life sets in. This is the last time you’ll be able to get ready and go out with your friends in college, so make sure you live it up.
As I reflect on my two years spent here at UConn, I realize there’s nowhere else I would have rather been. I met the greatest people, who will be in my life forever, experienced things I never would have had stayed at my old school and wasn’t presented with opportunities that I’m so grateful for today. UConn is my home and always will be. I know I can say, and I hope the rest of you seniors can too, that I couldn’t be prouder to be graduating from this institution. The memories made here will always be cherished.
Tessa Pawlik is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at tessa.pawlik@uconn.edu.
