I am in my last semester of senior year, and I’ve been reflecting on my life choices and the approaching end of this chapter. This one is more about what is on my mind while still being informative.
Everything in life has a start and an end. I am at the end of my college career. I have a lot of feelings. The main one being dread. It’s such a weird thing, because I remember back in freshman year, I couldn’t wait to graduate. I wanted to leave school and just get college over with, but now that I’m here…I’m terrified. If you’re going through the same feelings I am, hopefully you know you’re not alone.
In about 4 months, I will be part of the 2026 graduating class. I am mainly dreading finding a job with my degree. It’s a weird time because in college, you need a certain number of credits to graduate. I need one hundred twenty. I am currently at 112. So I only need 9 more credits to finish. The rest of my classes will just be electives. I know I’m not alone in this fear. My friends who are graduating with me are also scared, but it’s okay because we have support and time.
Here are some things you can do to start planning ahead
I tend to plan, and I have a life plan I made for myself in my head. However, planning with the job market isn’t easy. I have more support, so I shouldn’t be scared, but I am. My advisor has told me that the standard timeline for finding a job is six to twelve months. For some, it’s shorter; for others, it’s longer. If you want to plan like me, you should do these things!
1. Look for jobs in your junior year
You must plan and have backups in case stuff goes awry. Do research on what fields you’re studying and what recruiters tend to look for when hiring people for those jobs.
2. Fix up your resume
This one can also be done in your junior year. Start getting experience in the field you want to work in through internships. Yes, internships can be a coin toss because you don’t get paid, and the chances of your learning and being productive are fifty-fifty. Internships and volunteer work look wonderful on resumes.
3. Network, network, network!
This is something you should do in college because networking can help you build valuable connections! Make connections with people in different majors! Talk to your professors more! Attend events with people from different industries.
4. Have faith in yourself
This is the last one. You need to be patient with yourself. At the same time, everything might seem like it’s crazy. You will get through this!
I’m already more than halfway done with my last semester of college. Some friends have graduated, and others have moved on to programs in other states. I have faith in myself that everything will work out. The memories and friends I made at college will always be treasured! I’m coming to terms with the ending of this chapter. I’m ready to see what life has to throw at me.
Featured image via Emily Ranquist on Pexels
