Like many students on campus, I am fixated on a fast approaching event: graduation.
Graduation. This seemingly innocent word evokes a wide range of emotions in soon-to-be UW alumni. Some are bursting out of their skin with excitement while others are hiding in their closets, trembling with pure terror. I am a bit bi-polar on this topic, demonstrating both emotions.
Excitement. I cannot wait to be finished with my studies. I have always been an excellent student; unfortunately I would be lying if I made that statement for this academic year. I have diagnosed myself with senioritis. I have the hardest time motivating myself to do anything. And this is kind of bad. It’s not that my classes are uninteresting; I do enjoy some of my classes. I am just very apathetic. I find myself turning on my computer to complete an assignment and wind up watching “Home Improvement” reruns instead.
Terror. This is the flip side of the token. The issue here is that we are dealing with forces of the unknown. After the tassel is turned and graduation parties are over, it is time for one to face the harsh realities of the real world. And I do not mean sitting on the couch watching “The Real World” on MTV. That would be reality TV.
The real world. Getting a job. This is the Big Kahuna of real world realities you will be faced with. I know from personal experience that the real world kind of sucks. I ventured out there for a few years while trying to sort out what it was I wanted to do with my life versus what other people wanted me to do. And I had absolutely no fun at all.
So what is the point of this? Sometimes you end up doing something you absolutely hate once in the real world and it is terrible. I was at the point where I cried on my way to work everyday. But I gained a lot from this life experience too: I discovered that working at a bank really wasn’t my dream or the idea of a perfect career, it was someone else’s. This eventually led me back into college and a program I enjoy: being a journalism major at UW.
So what now? We have reached April, or as I like to call it, Hell Month. If you have a case of senioritis or have been super stressed, now is the time to really get into gear.
This is the month when a million things are due that can literally make or break your grades, and ultimately your reality of graduating. Having to cram five presentations, five papers and two projects into one single month, not to mention upcoming exams, is enough to make a person crack. Just don’t be that person. Buck up and buckle down.
As for me, it is my aim to crank up some Tegan and Sara or Owl City and crank out my assignments. I really need the A’s.
