Your Last Semester Of College As Told By Parks And Rec

I remember saying goodbye to my friends in high school like it was yesterday. We acted like we were all moving to opposite sides of the world and we’d never see each other again, but we soon learned that wasn’t true. But graduating college is a little different, when you walk across that stage and move back into your parents’ house, the friends who became your soul mates won’t be there anymore. They won’t be two minutes away to hang out when you’re bored, they won’t be walking through your front door unannounced and they certainly won’t be living with you anymore.

The last semester of college is an emotional one. As ready as you may be to leave the place you’ve called home for four or five or six short years, you won’t ever get this time again in your life. 

Remember yourself at the beginning of the semester when your parents tell you that you only have one semester to go so to do your best, but also have fun. Then the senioritis kicks in and doing your best kind of goes out the door and all you’re left with is fun.

When you have a group project but you all keep procrastinating. Then your professor tells you it’s your turn to present in front of the class. At least you’re giving it your best shot, right?

Realizing you won’t be living with your best friends any more after the semester ends is a tough dose of reality. It’s like the sleepover you’ve had with your friends for four years is finally coming to an end. 

You want me to look for jobs? Real jobs? I’m not ready for the real world. How is college already almost over?

Applying to professional jobs like… But seriously why isn’t there a class in college that teaches you how to adult? I’d rather learn that than try to do Sine and Cosine of a graph because let’s be honest, that’s not really getting us anywhere. Nor do we remember how to even do that.

How does one even go about finding their “dream job?” What even is my dream job? I’ve been at this place for four years and now what am I supposed to do with myself?

The only logical thing to turn to every night of the week is a bottle of wine because the last semester is a serious struggle. Thank you wine for always being there for us when we’re supposed to be doing our research projects and studying for exams. And thank you tequila for being there on the weekends when you don’t think we can make it through another week.

So. Much. Homework. So. Many. Projects. So. Many. Job. Searches. So. Much. Anxiety. How does one sleep at the end of the final semester? There is so much to do.

I don’t know how I can go from seeing all my friends every day to not. Like how does that work? Someone please help me wrap my mind around it. The thought of only seeing you guys in my life a few times after we walk across the stage is actually heart-wrenching.

All my friends I really do love, I’m going to miss you. I already miss you thinking about being separated. I also won’t lie to you, there most likely will be tears. Even if I try denying it.

Thank you for four years of laughter and I know it isn’t over yet, but it unfortunately will be here before we know it. We will walk across the stage and that will be the last thing we will all do as a class together. We won’t see each other in class anymore, we won’t see everyone out on the weekends anymore and that’s a hard pill to swallow. Reality is going to slap us hard in the face soon, so let’s make the most of the time we have left together.

Featured image via screengrab from Parks and Rec.