Graduated.
I remember back when I was in middle school, how the thought of college seemed lightyears away. After I had attended fifth grade camp and suffered from some major homesickness, I remember thinking to my eleven-year-old self: “How in the world are you ever going to make it through college?”
Well, I did, and now it’s over.
My college experience was a treacherous journey, for many reasons. What I mean by that is, at the beginning, I was very hopeful. As a Senior in high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to be: a performer. I wanted to go to school, away from the suburbs, in a big city, and follow my dreams of becoming a singer/songwriter. After my best friend referred it to me, I applied to Columbia College Chicago, and I got in. That was the only school I applied for, and when I received the e-mail, I will never forget exactly where I was at: my friend and I, Olivia, went to vocal lessons every week. I was sitting on the ground of the practice room when I received the news that I had been accepted, and she had been, too. We both were overjoyed. The future was happening right before my eyes.
Then, came high school graduation, and the summer of 2016. Then, it was August, and it was time to go. I moved up to Chicago, and to my surprise, it was not anything that I had pictured. I immediately knew it was NOT the place for me. It didn’t feel like the correct fit, and suddenly, the suburban town that I had wanted to escape from was the only place I wanted to be.
I made the decision to transfer closer to home, to Missouri State University, located about 3 hours from home. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Missouri State was a place I felt like I could flourish. I felt comfortable enough to take chances and to be more social, and it was where I found my true passion: writing. I had always loved to write, it was something I did to pass the time, whether it be creatively or for privacy in my journal, it was a way for me to decompress and express at the same time. So, that became my major: Creative Writing. I had gone from studying Contemporary Urban and Popular Music in Chicago to studying Creative Writing back home in Missouri.
These four years FLEW by. I mean, in record speed. That’s the first thing people will tell you when you’re headed into high school or college, that the next four years are going to scream past you — and they did.
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I am now a graduated college student from Missouri State University, and I cannot believe it is over.
I miss Springfield. I have moved back home since graduating and since the COVID-19 pandemic cut my last senior semester short, I never got the proper goodbye to my college town, but it holds a place in my heart forever. I love that town, no matter how many times I complained about going back to friends and family. It will forever be a second-home for me, and I miss it, deeply.
Now that college is over, the job hunt begins. The biggest question I get when people ask me what my degree is in, they say: “Oh, so do you want to write books?” or “What are you going to do with an English degree?” and well, I would be lying if I said that these questions didn’t cross my mind throughout my college experience, but here is what I have narrowed it down to:
What I love the most about words is that they inspire me. When I sit down to read a novel, a poetry book, or a self-reflection article, maybe even song-lyrics — Whenever I find a piece of myself in the writing, I feel at home. I feel inspired. I feel like I’m not alone. It’s one of the many great things about the world we live in is that we can find and relate to each other through our experiences and we turn those experiences into words.
So, when someone asks me, what I hope to do with this English degree, I will say this: I hope to inspire with my words. And however I get to do that, I qualify that as a success for me.
And, if you’re reading this, and you’re in college or about to go to college, I want to insert the wise words of my cousin, Craig, that have always stuck with me since I can remember: “One night in college can change your entire life.” Take chances in the beginning of independency. College is a beautifully, terrifying, confusing, and wonderful time all at once. Don’t let any of it slip through your hands, and remember to take in every little moment as if it’s the last.
On the last night in my apartment, my roommate Tara, who was my roommate all throughout college, we sat down in our empty living room and reminisced on all of the good memories we had. The laughs. The smiles. The tears. The experiences. The people. And we wish we would’ve taken advantage of what we had when we had it. So, don’t let it slip through your hands. Soak up every second of the college experience, because when it is over, you will never experience a more confusing yet wonderful time in your life again.
And so now, for me, it’s on to the next step.
