The Beauty of Senior-itis!

Student's walking near the Neil Armstrong buiding.

*Pauly D Voice* SPRING IS HERE!

Although we are starting to encounter the infamous “April Showers”, most of the student’s on campus are preparing for the most coveted celebratory ceremony, that we all strive for; graduation! This, for some, is an exciting last couple of weeks on campus. Whether it’s taking in the beauty that campus offers or enjoying the fact that the course load has lightened, some find time to revel in the last moments of their collegiate career. Yet, for others, it’s a mixture of excitement, anxiety and fear. However they decide to digest it, one thing is common among those who are graduating seniors: Senior-itis!

Now, I’m sure that most of you guys experienced this in high school. I mean, I know for me, at least, when I finally heard I was accepted into THE BEST college, this side of…EVER, my time in high school was essentially done for me and all of my focus went into just having a blast. It was easy to do! My school of choice had accepted me and all there was left to do was pack up and move and start, what has turned out to be, an awesome adventure. However, collegiate senior-itis feels just a slight bit differently.

With graduating college comes the thought process that is somewhat overwhelming to contemplate. Deciding on how to spend the next five years of your life can be a daunting one, yet with that comes a great bit of delight- this is where the beauty of Senior-itis lies.

For me, graduating college is a thought that is very scary to think about. In high school, by October of my senior year, I was pretty much set on my direction post graduation. Now, there are so many options, just like chips, it’s so hard to have only one. I began applying for jobs a while back and just recently began hearing back and scheduling interviews with potential employers. Some have been close to home but others are rather far away and making a decision is going to be a tough but exciting one. As mentioned earlier, it’s pretty daunting to think about the options that lie ahead, but there is delight in this.

I know delight isn’t the most commonly used word, but for this instance I believe that it fits perfectly. According to the Merraim-Webster dictionary, delight is defined as; “a high degree of gratification : joy; also : extreme satisfaction” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delight?show=0&t=1334610984) Being that the decision will be tough to make, once one is made, I know that I will find extreme satisfaction in having made it and will make the most of the situation. In knowing this, I become more excited for graduation and most fear and anxiety fade. Graduating from Purdue University is going to be such a great accomplishment, that by letting fear and anxiety steal away my delight would be a disservice to myself.

Without neglecting your duties as a student in regards to Senior projects, final papers, final exams, etc, I say, enjoy in the delight that is Senior-itis. You have worked hard for four (or five or six or more…either way) years and deserve to enjoy some self-gratification for all of your hard work and efforts. To those graduating this coming May, I say, congratulations. And for those getting closer and closer to the finish line, I say, keep going…you’re almost there!

-Connie B.