College has a few different stages. And going through these stages can definitely change you, especially when the stages require a different person for each. Freshman year is all about freedom and exploration – staying up late, sleeping in (and through class sometimes), and partying like it’s your J-O-B. Sophomore and junior years require decision-making, including majors and even a possible career path. But probably the hardest time is senior year and the promise of finishing college.

It’s not as carefree toward the end of your undergraduate days. You may feel rather lackadaisical and uninspired. This stage can be a very difficult one, as you need to think about the, dare I say it, FUTURE. And you may be tired – I don’t just mean because you can no longer stay up as late as you did back in the freshman year day. You’ve been going to school for at least 15 years by this point and it gets exhausting. And you may think, “Wait a sec, I can be in the real world making money right now. Why am I still here?” Well, let me tell you, you won’t be able to go too far without that degree to back you up.

One of my best friends is in her last semester of school now and can’t wait to be done. I was exactly there last semester. She told me she needed to go study for a midterm that’s coming up this week. When I heard “midterm” I cringed and felt so lucky that I didn’t have to deal with that anymore. However, when I took a step back and thought about why I didn’t have to deal with it, it wasn’t because I just stopped school – it was because I had completed my time as an undergraduate. And I’m so happy that I have something to show for it. Were there days (or even weeks) when I was so fed up with school I just wanted to leave? Of course. There are so many people out there who just stopped school because they got tired or they didn’t want to be there anymore and what do they have to show for it now? (By the way, you can go back!! There’s always time!)

Our friend “Career ED” told me recently of an individual who was unsure how to motivate himself to finish up his last couple of semesters of schooling. He had switched majors a couple of times already and was finding it hard to stay motivated. Here’s what “ED” had to say:

“Very few people go into college knowing what they want to do so most people do change their major at least 2 or 3 times – and just think of it like this, it’s not that you didn’t have direction and were all over the place. You got a little bit of knowledge about a lot of different topics. While I definitely know how hard the end can get, you’ll be so glad once you’re there. Trust me. You’ll have a great education that will make you marketable and a prestigious piece of paper that will mean something.”

So go for it! Push through those last couple of hurdles and accomplish what you set out to do freshman year. Your goals, views, and concentrations may have changed, but I’m certain that your ultimate goal is still the same. What might that be, you ask? Graduation!!

-Amanda Fornecker