When I started at USF St. Petersburg back in the summer of 2012, graduation seemed like a lifetime away – and for 18-year-olds – four years is around 22 percent of their lives.
Now, looking toward my last year of formal education as I prepare to step away from my student-identity, I have to constantly remind myself that I will never stop learning.
People, as diverse and complex as we all are, experience college differently.
Some may participate in events or join interesting clubs, others may do neither. A few of us have more control over the experience than others, whether it be financially or otherwise.
I’ve never been a fan of school, but to this day, I’m glad I chose this growing campus in the middle of downtown St. Petersburg.
It’s become my home.
Like so many, I was unsure and nervous about being so far away from Miami, where I grew up. Four hours may not be much to some, but to me it was a world away.
It got easier after a few weeks. I’ve formed friendships that have remained strong these past few years – ones that I know will, undoubtedly, stay that way for many more.
So, don’t worry if things seem confusing right now. You will find your place here, just as I, and many others before me have.
Take mass communications senior Brianna Enders for instance, who is now preparing to launch her own longboarding business, Breezy Boards, on May 13.
Though she has dreamed of starting a business since she learned to skateboard, Enders said going through the college experience helped her turn the dream into a reality.
Not all of us know exactly what we want to do, though. I switched my major four times.
But now that I’m looking at jobs instead of majors, I’m almost overwhelmed by the number of career options available to me as a mass communications graduate.
Meanwhile, this has become a pretty comforting thought, since one of the jokeful-jabs I’ve grown accustomed to hearing is how very limited the job market is for journalism grads.
After you’ve studied something long enough, talked with your professors and met professionals in the industry, you start to think “actually, this isn’t so hard.”
And as important as jobs are after graduation, figuring out where you’re going to plop your post-grad possessions is also a pretty big deal.
I, for one, have had this nagging fear that I may need to move back in with my parents (love you guys).
It’s been on my mind ever since I went back home and saw that my bedroom had become the guest room.
There’s always the option to take the plunge and jump into a new city, or follow a new job so you know you’ll be ok wherever you end up.
I think either could work, but as I said before, it’s different for everyone.
In the end, you need to decide what’s best for you.
The future will be unpredictable, school-less (if you don’t plan on going to grad school) and filled with new adventures — most of which, I hope, will be positive ones I can grow from.
And even if the quality of an experience isn’t the greatest, that should never detract from the knowledge you can gain from it.
Remember, you will never stop learning.
