Girl, it's almost time to graduate college. You're not quite sure where the past four years went, and it feels like you were a freshmen just yesterday. You have a thousand memories behind you, and are starting to think about what's next. Maybe you and your roommates will take on a new city, you'll go to grad school, or just spend some time figuring out your passion before you pursue it. When you're about to graduate college, you have so many thoughts and feelings, and seriously know a few things to be true.
Don't worry, the days of eating ramen for dinner aren't over quite yet, and being an "adult" doesn't mean you have to give up dinosaur-shaped nuggets forever. You'll still hang out with your roommates, even if it's just over FaceTime, and the city is filled with good bagel places that will live up to your favorites around campus. Thank goodness, huh? We don't know where we'd be in the real world without a good egg and cheese sandwich.
You're excited to your degree and toss your cap alongside your friends. All of those long nights of studying in the library were worth it, and you'd even relive those moments if it meant staying in college for just a little longer. Graduation comes with a lot of feelings, and these six things are all too true.
The friends you made at college are like no other. Coming to campus, you were sure that your hometown besties would always be your favorites. They'd been there since day one, and you spent the first semester or so telling stories about your girls back home.
Truth is, though, as graduation comes closer, you realize there's a special place in your heart for your college crew. They're the ones who were there for every Saturday night, and every episode of Chopped on Food Network. When you were sick, they brought you soup from the dining hall so you didn't have to go out in the snow, and you learned to look after each other like family. Tossing your caps will be cool, but you can't imagine living without them in the real world.
On a brighter note, the end of the semester often means all kinds of fun activities for seniors. Maybe your school hosts a whole week on campus, where you live in the dorms, spend time chilling on the quad, and get deals at the local casino. Being back on campus is such a surreal feeling, but you're soaking in every second of it.
Of course, there are still some finals you're studying for, but your senior thesis has been turned it for quite some time now. You're slowly getting excited to graduate, but having all of this free time is helping you process all the feels.
Finding your first "real" job can be super stressful. If you're about to graduate college, resumés and cover letters are all too real for you, and you've probably gotten tired of the phrase, "I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon!" You've already tried working all of your connections, and really want something lined up before summertime. Your internship was pretty sweet these past few semesters, so you wouldn't mind going back there for a full-time position, either.
Truth is, landing that interview will be a seriously cool moment when it comes time — but you'll probably send out so many applications before you find the perfect fit. There are so many moments when you'll first feel like an "adult" after college, and breaking out the business attire is only one part of living the post-grad life.
There are no dorm rooms in the real world, and graduation means figuring out where you're going to go next. Maybe you'll pack up all of your stuff and move across the country, or maybe you'll settle in back home with your parents. The world suddenly seems ginormous when you're not stuck in the same town as your school, and you want to see as much as possible.
When you were applying to jobs, you even considered going abroad. Living in a city like London for a year could be cool, and you want to put some stamps in your passport, too. OK, maybe graduating isn't going to be so bad after all.
Decorating your cap is part of graduating college. You'll be taking a thousand pictures with your friends and family, so your cap has to be cute and show off your personality. You've spent hours scrolling through Pinterest, and wandering the aisles of the art store to find glitter paint or those cute flowers that stick on. When in doubt, you'll call in the artsy friend in your crew for some inspiration.
The day you picked up your cap and gown honestly made graduation seem so much more real. Up until that point, it was just a day in May when you were going to walk across a stage and get handed a piece of paper. Once you have the outfit, though, you can picture yourself getting your degree and slipping your tassel to the other side.
Saying goodbye to the coffee shop down the street, your favorite bagel place, and the local sushi restaurant is tough. There's something to be said for college towns — they really do have the best options for food. You're going to miss every single one of the menus you've come to know by heart.
Sure, you'll be back as an alumni and will likely eat at your favorite spots again. But, that could be a year or more from now, so you want to make the most of your location while you can. Maybe there's even a seat in the library you always study at, or a table where you'd sit for lunch in between classes. It's bittersweet when you have to walk away, but you'll be a regular at so many new spots, too.
