Seniors
Opinion

Realistic Accounts of Senior Year from an Actual Senior

Going into senior year is basically the same as going into freshmen year. You’re a naïve student who thinks the world is right at your fingertips. Everyone you’ve ever talked to tells you how easy senior year is, and you believe them. This is going to be the best year ever, you tell yourself as you move into your off-campus apartment or house for the final time. I worked really hard last year and took extra classes just so I only had to take eight classes this year. It’s going to be so easy.

Okay, no. You were wrong. So very wrong. Yes, you only took four classes this semester, but you took the four hardest classes you possibly could’ve taken all at once. Throw in the fact that two out of the four classes are writing intensives (thanks Monmouth, the only school that finds this necessary) and you should literally just give up, especially considering one of them is your thesis.

Because Monmouth is the school where leaders look forward, we’re all involved in some extracurricular activity. Whether you’re an athlete, a member of Greek life, or a member of a club on campus, you have to be on the executive board to make yourself somewhat stand out amongst the other desperate seniors looking for a job. That’s approximately another 15 plus hours a week to add on to the endless hours of homework you’ve been doing.

And then there’s interning. Every senior should intern at least one semester of their senior year because how else are you going to find a job once May rolls around? How many times have the seniors heard this year, “Well, you should really be going to all the networking events that you can.” With what time left in the day do you expect me to make that happen?

Between the senior level classes, e-board meetings, and interning schedules mentally and physically consuming you, you find a weekend to go home and attempt to relax. The whole family comes over for dinner and you answer the question, “What do you plan to do when you graduate?” at least 15 times in a row. In reality, you truly have no idea and wish everyone would stop asking you. You’re already stressed enough.

Then one day you’re sitting in class, and all you can think is Why did I pick this major? Is this even what I want to do with the rest of my life? What if I just wasted the past four years? At least once a week, this overwhelming feeling of insecurity comes over you as you count down the minutes left of the class you don’t want to be sitting through.

As if the massive amount of student debt you already owe isn’t enough, almost everyone around you is pushing the idea of graduate school on you. To anyone who recommends this: it’s going to be amazing if we make it out of senior year, let alone spend another two years in the classroom.

Finally, Jacks Tuesday rolls around and you couldn’t be happier to be a senior. You consume as many $2 Bud Lights you possibly can and then stumble to McDonalds for the glorious Monmouth student discount. You take a look around and think to yourself, maybe senior year isn’t that bad. I mean, I only took four classes this semester anyway. 

IMAGE TAKEN from monmouth.edu