So, you’re headed into your senior year of college. Been there.
You clicked on this in a surge of desperation to perfectly plan the next twelve months of your life. This is the critical point of transition, the last hurrah, the final minutes of the championship match. You will undoubtedly read a thousand articles explaining how to craft a senior year bucket list, how to live in the moment, and how to mentally begin processing the end of your college experience.
This is different.
I am weeks away from graduating. Each day eats away the little time I have left. Senior year is sadly shifting to my rearview.
Over the past several months, I’ve been forced to reflect on how I spent my year and how I tried to make the most of it all. Upon looking back, I’ve collected the strategies that I feel deviated from the typical advice and allowed me to truly be present, enjoy being a senior, and just have some f*cking fun.
Take videos, not pictures
Photos have their perks, but senior year is all about making memories. Bust out your inner vlogger, hit record, and share the moments that made college worthwhile. My friends and I have consistently vlogged most of our lives for the past four years, and while we rarely share it with outside viewers, these videos have become so precious to us.
Our faces have changed, our mannerisms have morphed, and the silly snapshots of our lives remind us of how far we’ve come. We’ve conquered a lot and forgotten so much; the vlogs help remind us of everything time will try to tear away from us.
Recount your day, share your feelings, and wish your future self well.
If you can afford it, don’t work (or work less)
I’ve had at least two jobs or internships every single semester of college. I wanted to work hard, pursue my passions, gain meaningful experience, and of course, make a little money to help pay my college expenses. I am extremely thankful for the many positions I’ve had, from TCU’s social media team to local marketing roles, but your last semester of college quickly becomes a battle of schedules.
You will have endless final banquets, award ceremonies, parties, and senior events to attend on top of your final coursework, graduation checklist, emotional turmoil, and general desire to spend time with your friends before you go your separate ways. And it’s not that you can’t continue to fit work into the mix (I’ve managed it, albeit poorly), but it becomes a major stress point as other obligations culminate.
If you can afford to, try to reduce or stop your hours in your final semester. It’s not the most realistic ask, and as I mentioned, I couldn’t swing it, but part of me envies those who did and were able to enjoy more of the last little moments while I drove to the office.
Something old, something new, & something just for you
The bucket list concept is great in theory. A looming list can give us events to look forward to and push us beyond our comfort zone in our final year. But as my spring semester comes to a close, my bucket list remains mostly incomplete, time having eaten away opportunities for many of my major plans and spontaneous endeavors turning into unexpected must-dos.
Instead, shoot for a more fulfilling and approachable something old, something new, and something that is just for you. It’s self-explanatory, but make it a goal to do one thing in each category.
Something old. Revisit an old tradition, person, or place that was meaningful to you during freshman year. Not only will it deliver much-needed nostalgia, but you’ll be able to reconnect with a version of yourself you’ve outgrown. Hopefully, this act will showcase just how far you’ve come and help rebuild a holistic image of your college years that is healing and intentional.
Something new. Rather than tackle an entire bucket list, aim to do just one new thing. Try a new bar, take a different type of class, or make a friend (more on that later). Whatever it is, don’t put too much pressure on it, but one last exploratory push of your college campus and city is important. You’re about to leave this place behind, so love on it while you can.
Something just for you. I mean it. One thing, just you by yourself. I headed to our football stadium. I sat in the 200s, hopping the gate blocking the stairs and settling into a plush purple chair with my feet propped in front of me. The Carter is my happy place; it is eerily calming when it’s empty and bursting with joy when it’s full. I watched the sun set over the stadium’s lip, sinking slowly like one deep inhale of the horizon. I remembered every cherished cheer in the student section and cried as the light faded from view.
Whatever it is, shoot for the equivalent. One goodbye.
don’t stop making friends
I’m deeply guilty of repeating the phrase, “I’m too old to meet new people.” What that really means? I can’t stand to care about and eventually lose someone else come graduation. I had my people, and everyone else had theirs. Or so I thought.
The magic of senior year is our shared desperation for connection, kindness, and shared grief. We satisfy that longing by continuing to meet new people, forming new relationships, and kickstarting friendships that we’d been missing out on prior to senior year.
I have been pleasantly surprised by the additional entries in my life this year. They make me laugh, keep me young, and inspire me every day. My year has been bigger and brighter because of them.
And to think, I figured I was done making friends. But we’re all about to be fresh adults, real-world kindergarteners reaching out for fragile new friendships. It’s good practice and a good reminder that our circle should always be growing.
Land a post-grad job early, or make peace with your plans
Job hunting is exciting, but it’s also time-consuming and immensely stressful. Pressure against the clock to land something late in spring is a major challenge. My advice? Either secure those post-grad plans in the fall or make your peace with moving home for a bit and job hunting during the summer. Trying to figure everything out in the months of April and May is just too much, take it from me.
When it comes to securing that first job, life is half skill and half sheer luck. Trust that you’ll be in the right place at the right time with the right skills as long as you keep applying.
have f*cking fun
Go out. Laugh hard. Skip classes. Eat good food. Tan by the pool. Swim in the fountain. Sleep less. This is your last shred of life without inhibitions, without adult expectations and behavioral lines. So let loose and enjoy being young. Revel in it.
You won’t just survive senior year; you’ll thrive throughout it. I promise. And as sad as you are, I promise I’ve cried enough for both of us, so smile for me instead. Best of luck.
HCXO,
Colleen