A graduating senior reflects on her Virginia Tech experience

When I began to plan this post I wasn’t sure how to start, because in all honesty I had been so busy finishing the semester and applying to grad school that I hadn’t even thought about the fact that I was graduating. It’s easy to get caught up in everything the university lifestyle has to offer, and I’ve been so distracted that, now that it’s ending, I feel like it all went by really fast.

As it finally started to dawn on me that my undergraduate career at Virginia Tech was drawing to a close, a lot of thoughts and emotions hit me at once. I thought about how excited I was to get my degree and to be finished with the stress of senior year, and how grateful I was to receive an education at a university that takes pride not only in exceptional education but also in outstanding service. I thought about my growth from a timid freshman who was too afraid to venture out and make friends to a sophomore who became okay with being away from home, and then from a junior who looked forward to seeing her friends on the weekend to a senior who has become comfortable balancing time with friends and time spent alone. I thought about the fear and uncertainty of not knowing what comes next, but also the thrill of finding out. In combination, these thoughts created an attitude towards graduation that was bittersweet; while they forced me to come to terms with the ending I am facing, they also caused me to fondly remember my most important moments at Virginia Tech.

I don’t know if I really identify with the saying that college is the best four years of your life, and I think that’s okay. I’d like to hope that, instead, it has set me up for even better years in the future, that every late night I spent writing papers has prepared me for a strong career, that every struggle that comes with living with a roommate has taught me to resolve conflicts, and that every moment of regular young adult heartache or homesickness or stress has created a person that I’m proud of being.

To those who are nearing graduation: I hope you take the time to congratulate yourself. I know that it can be daunting to leave the place you’ve made your home and to begin your career, and sometimes the job search can be disheartening. But you’ve worked really hard, and accomplished something to be excited about. You’re going to do great things.