Graduation poses a whole new level of anxiety for graduating seniors that surpasses the regular midterm stress, the anticipation and unfamiliarity of the first day of college as a freshman, and quite possibly every other milestone that comes up along the way.
Being a part of this demographic, I can definitely relate and say that although the next two weeks will be the supplier of one of the most exciting times in college, it is quite possibly the scariest.
Although optimists may see this finals week as no different from the rest, I believe that our entire college career depends on the outcome of our final exams.
As if the pressure and nearly impossible task of graduating in four years wasn’t hard enough, now we are faced with another obstacle before gaining our freedom.
But that’s enough pessimism. Despite the fact that a good portion of my fellow seniors will be on the brink of a mental breakdown at some point in the next two weeks, we are so fortunate to be embarking into the real world at such a swift pace.
I admit that I was always the student who couldn’t wait to get to the real world, but my mind definitely changed for a second.
A great majority of this change of heart is due to the fact that the idea of a full-time job scares me. As much as I hate to admit it, Cal State Long Beach has become a security blanket.
I think the real reason is clear: the college experience is irreplaceable. I am able to sleep at night by reminding myself that I have had a very fulfilling college experience.
I joined a sorority and participated in Greek life, studied abroad in London, interned at a public relations firm and wrote for the Daily 49er. I have little regret when I look back and reflect on my time at CSULB.
We cannot repeat our college experience. Even if we try to recreate the undergraduate experience, graduate school and law school will not match up.
We must look at our time in college as a phase that has passed. Lucky for us, life does not consist of just one phase or experience. There are multitudes.
Even though life after graduation may not seem nearly as fun and entertaining as college life, it possesses a great deal of new and exciting opportunities.
As we leave the past four or five years behind, let’s embrace the stress of finals one more time before we encounter the new stress of having a full-time job.
Emily Andrews is a senior journalism major and a contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
