I graduated from the University of Utah this past summer, and, like most of my fellow graduates, I was filled with a slew of emotions that ranged from pure joy to unadulterated terror.
Don't get me wrong, I was happy to be done, but also nervous to actually do something besides school with my life. I went from middle school to high school to college without any time in between, so what was I supposed to do without school?
I was proud of what I had accomplished, but being done with my Undergrad career was a strange feeling.
When school started up again this past month, I felt odd. I won't lie. I felt like I should have been packing my back pack, buying overpriced textbooks, and complaining about parking along with the rest of the returning students.
To counter that feeling, I decided to create this list of the highs and lows associated with recently graduating from college. If you are in my same position, then I hope you can relate to some of them. If not, then I hope you can at least chuckle.
High #1: Sleeping in past 10 a.m.
In high school, I woke up every morning at 6:30 in order to be to school at around 7:30. So when I first entered college, I though 7:30 classes were totally doable.
I was wrong. After my first semester, I never made that mistake again.
Luckily, not having school means not waking up early to make it to campus. It means not frantically searching to find a parking spot (before inevitably giving up and parking in the pay lots). It means not speed walking to class like Hal from Malcolm in the Middle (If you don't get this reference, then you should YouTube it).
Staying up late is another benefit of not having morning classes. Hello 3 a.m.
Low #1: Missing out on classes that sound really interesting
Like a true nerd, I looked at some of the classes being offered this fall semester, and I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to take any of them.
I also talked with some of my friends about their favorite professors and realized that I hadn't had many of them. I wish I would have tried to take more classes out of curiosity instead of just trying to fulfill the mandatory credits.
Don't get me wrong, I had many professors that I loved! But when I hear about other professors winning teaching awards and such, I'm a bit blue that I didn't take their classes as well.
High #2: Finally being able to read books that I WANT to read.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. I have a bookshelf crammed full of books that I need to read, and after I graduated, I found myself having more time to check a few of them off the list.
Low #2: Not seeing friends every day
At school and in classes, people are forced to interact with you every day whether they like it or not. After you graduate, it's much more difficult to get together with friends who are still in school. Their schedules are crazy. Your schedule is pretty hectic (because you still have work). It's not impossible, and those that care will make time to hang out. It's just less of a convenience.
High #3: Narrowing down what you want to do as a career
(This can also double nicely as Low #3)
It's exhilarating to be in a stage of life where you can almost do anything. Want to travel? You can. Want to work? You can. Want to continue with school? Heck, you can do that too. There are so many paths that you can travel down as a recent graduate, which makes the world seem very large (and sometimes very imposing).
I used this as low #3 because, while it can be exciting, it is also exhausting. And scary. And confusing. And scary.
When you get close to graduating, people begin to ask you the unavoidable question: What are you planning on doing after?
After? What do you mean? Can I not just sit in my pajamas and get paid to eat cereal and watch re-runs of Portlandia and Sherlock?
And they expect an immediate answer because in between classes, tests, essays, extracurriculars (and friends, if you can pencil them in), of course I found time to plan my entire future…
However, you can have fun with these people. I enjoyed countering their question with, "Well, what do you have planned for the rest of your life?"
That usually shuts them up.
But, in the back of you mind, you know that you will have to figure it all out eventually.
Or maybe you won't have to have it all figured out…
Maybe it's acceptable to take things as they come. I truly believe that those who have the right attitude, a strong work ethic, and a passion for something (anything!) will figure life out along the way.
My biggest piece of advice to those nearing graduation: don't compromise anything about your dreams to "fit in" better with what other people are accomplishing.
If you want to be an opera singer, do it. If you want to play third base for the Red Sox, do it. If you want to be the first person to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic.. well you might be too late, but you get my point.
I graduated, but that doesn't mean that I'm done learning. And it doesn't mean that my life is totally in order. I don't think that I will ever have things completely figured out, and I'm okay with that.
