Collegiate Times

How do you describe the feeling of knowing that this is your last semester before you are hurled into the world? For some seniors there is an overwhelming sense of euphoria to know that soon they'll never have to grind out another paper or cram ceaselessly for another exam. For others, the feeling is quite opposite, some seniors are experiencing strong feelings of anxiety — dare I say even terror — at the thought of ending this wonderful world of beer and text books known as college and officially growing up. However, most seniors are finding themselves somewhere in the middle; excited about the future, but disheartened about leaving friends and memories behind.

"I can remember first moving into the dorms like it was yesterday, soon I'll be moving out on my own, and that's crazy to think about, so I'm putting off worrying about it for as long as I can," said Dan Rappucci, senior finance major.

While some are opting for the denial route, other seniors are wondering where they can seek some help while going through their senior year crisis. Fortunately Tech offers a couple resources that are extremely beneficial to seniors. If stress about your future career is the source of your anxiety, make a stop at the Career Services building. Career Services provides a number of resources to graduating seniors. If you want to explore career options, they offer a class, rightly named, Exploring Careers.

If you are looking to find an internship, you can make an appointment with an advisor to possibly discuss enrolling in their Co-op/Internship Program. If you are looking for a job, Career Services offers a plethora of options. Their website contains an extremely useful job search section, and you can meet with an advisor about participating in their On-Campus Interviewing Program. This service gets your resume out to the hundreds of companies that interview students through Career Services every semester. Lastly, if you are considering applying to graduate school, discuss the process and planning with an advisor.

"If you are still stressing about a job, it's probably because you have not fully taken advantage of all the resources available to you," said Nicole Gerike Senior AHRM Major.

While Career Services satisfies all of a graduating seniors' job needs, some might find that just being able to talk to someone can help them deal with senioritis. Seniors are dealing with more issues than just their future career. Some might be considering whether or not to continue a romantic relationship, and others are just stressed about leaving the bonds of friendship that have been formed over the years. The Cook Counseling Center offers individual counseling to all students, but this can be especially helpful to seniors.

"This is a major life-transition, just think about how stressed and anxious you were about first coming to college. These big transition times are tough for everyone, and I'd recommend the counseling center to anyone who is stressed and worried about the future," said Arif Demirel, senior biology major and volunteer at the Schiffert Health Center.

"It's kind of weird to think about it all ending. I'm going to miss this place, but I think I'll be ready to leave," said Adam Schmid, senior civil engineering major.

Even though it seems like a grim picture has been painted, there is just enough to be excited about as there is to be anxious about. For one, it might be nice to get out and make some money for change. Yes, this means leaving behind Ramen noodles and dollar-pizzas, but it's for the better. Or, perhaps the prospect of living in a new city evokes your party side, which is comforting to know that you can still somewhat act like a college student in your post-college life (on the weekends, of course). Either way, a big change is about to happen, so it should be embraced rather than feared. So we seniors might not know what's going to happen to us when we take those first premature steps off this campus, but is that such a bad thing?