4 Things I Wish I Knew Going Into Senior Year of College

By Emilie Moy

1. Not everyone will have a job by graduation

We all have this vision of arriving at senior year with a dream job offer in hand, and slacking off as much as possible so long as you still get your diploma. However, the reality is, even though your friends in finance industries may have secured job offers a year in advance, most companies in other industries (especially in fashion) don't even start interviewing until graduation time approaches. This doesn't mean you're not going to get hired or that you're any less accomplished than your friends with early job offers. Each industry has a completely different hiring process and sometimes it takes a few months of searching for a position to open up. Ultimately when you land a job it doesn't matter in the long run, and what really becomes essential is finding happiness wherever you end up working. 

2. The friendships you've built over the years are only going to become more important after college

Even though being in a sorority and bonding with a large group of friends was great and gave you memories that you will cherish for a lifetime, it’s the small group of college friends you will hold onto long after you forget the words to your bid day songs. The ones who have been by your side through the ups and downs of college are the ones who’s friendship you will value even more in the real world. Once everyone graduates and moves to different cities and parts of the world, it’s important to hold onto those friendships. Even though you may not be seeing them as often, they will be the ones you call when no one else gets you or on those days when the real world knocks you down.

3. Living in a less than ideal senior house will prepare you for the real world

If you chose to live in a house with five of your best friends senior year, it probably isn’t going to be as glamorous of an experience as you think. It will get dirty, your roommates will throw parties where people will trash the house, and you will end up paying a lot of money for it all just to have the experience of living in a real home. It turns out living in a filthy shack will prepare you for when you’re just starting out in the real world and the apartments aren’t much nicer and you most likely will have to share a shoebox size space with two other roommates. However, because of senior year, you have the training under your belt and have learned to keep an apartment clean and mice free. You also know by now how to pay the electric and cable bills along with all the other grown up things that come with owning a home. So if you’re disappointed by your living situation senior year, just remember it will benefit you in the long run. 

4. Senior year is your last chance to do everything you’ve wanted to do the last three years

Remember how you’ve always wanted to go to a (play, football game, concert, etc.) and never could find the time? Do it. Or when the campus is covered in snow and you were dying to go sledding down the front lawn? Now’s your chance. Senior year is really a time to cross all the things off your college bucket list and make time for things you’ve always wanted to do. College has so much to offer and when you’re there every day it’s easy to forget how many amazing opportunities are right at your fingertips. Senior year is also a time to make as many new friends as possible. Although it sounds kind of backwards, like you should have been forming these friendships freshman year, you’ll be surprised how many cool people there are on campus that you’ve never crossed paths with or just haven’t had the chance to meet. Going out of your way to meet new people will only enhance your senior year experience and you never know how those friendships will continue to grow after college.