25 days. That’s how much longer I can call myself a Suffolk University student before donning what I assume will be an unflattering robe and crossing the stage, diploma in hand.
It’s scary, terrifying even, to think that the senior class is about to be unleashed into the world. After years of classes, clubs, papers, structure and guidelines, we will be thrust into society without a safety net.
Some students have already secured internships and jobs, others are still searching. I consider myself lucky to have found a job, one that has nothing to do with my degree, that I can keep if my dream of being offered multiple jobs the second my feet hit the opposite side of the stage fall through.
Though, it’s still unnerving to think that there’s a world in which our degree isn’t utilized, it’s also freeing. On the one hand, it seems like finding a job immediately is the path that has been put in front of us. On the flip side, it opens up so many doors, which, heads up, can also be scary.
This might be the first time that some seniors are on their own without that guidance. Questions could be swirling around your head. What’s next? Will I ever find a job? Do I really have to move back into my parents basement?
The answer? A resounding maybe. A “we’ll see” tossed into the void that is job hunting. Like I said, it’s pretty scary to be this close to graduation without a solid plan.
However, now is also the time to explore. It’s the time where you can take the low-paying job and work your way up or travel around the world. It’s the time for adventure and learning outside of the classroom. It can be in an office, sitting across from someone who microwaves fish every day or while volunteering across the world.
So here’s the real question: is leaving school with that hard earned diploma scary or is it the concept of change that casts a shadow on those of us who are undecided on our next steps?
Maybe a little of both. Here’s what I know. I have seen students from Suffolk do amazing things, I have seen them come into themselves through their work in clubs and organizations on campus.
There have been times when I couldn’t believe students led events and not the staff because of how well put together things were.
The thing is, that was just part of the journey and the next part, the one after we move the tassel over and take really embarrassing pictures in those gowns, that’s the next part.
So, maybe we don’t have it all figured out. Maybe you’re scared – I know I am. I just don’t believe that’s enough to stop the journey. As this class moves on, it’s unrealistic to think that things will always come easily or that there won’t be disappointment.
It’s time to embrace the scary and walk away from campus life knowing that no matter how scary the next chapter looks, one of the hardest parts is behind you. Just make sure you don’t trip while crossing the stage.
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@ashleyfairchi14
