Senior to senior

I’m a few weeks from finishing college. You’re a few weeks from finishing high school. We’re both in the same weird in-between space… almost done with something, not quite started on the next thing.

There’s a lot of pressure to treat this moment like everything depends on having a perfect plan. People want you to know exactly where you’re headed and who you’re going to become.

But after four years of college, I’ve realized most of the important parts don’t happen the way you expect them to.

As you transition from one step to the next, here are some thoughts from one senior to another about college and wrapping up high school that I wish I had heard.

Don’t plan too much.

It’s good to have goals. It’s good to care about your classes, your future and the kind of person you want to become. But don’t build your college experience so tightly that there’s no room for anything unexpected.

Coming into my freshman year, I thought the people who had everything mapped out were the ones doing it right. What nobody tells you is that some of the most meaningful parts of college happen completely outside of the four-year plans, packed schedules and constant productivity.

In my experience, the best parts of college rarely arrive exactly when you expect them to. A late-night conversation with someone down the hall. A professor who changes the way you think. A club meeting you almost skipped. A friend who invites you somewhere at the last second. The opportunity you almost said no to because it didn’t “fit” your schedule.

College moves quickly, and it’s easy to treat every moment like it has to be optimized. But not every valuable experience looks productive while it’s happening.

Leave room for spontaneity. Leave room to change your mind. Leave room to discover interests you didn’t know you had yet. Stay prepared, but stay flexible too.

You get out what you put in.

College gives you opportunities, but it doesn’t force you to take them.

The students who grow the most are usually the ones who decide to participate fully. They ask questions. They introduce themselves to people. They try things they are not already good at. They show up even when it feels uncomfortable.

The important thing is being willing to take a risk and engage.

Think about the skills you want to leave with.

Your major matters. Your future career matters too. But people change career paths all the time. The specific job you imagine for yourself right now may not be the one you eventually have. And though we’ve been told college is the time you’ll decide on a career, you might not even leave college with a perfectly clear idea of what comes next.

That uncertainty can feel intimidating, but college is about more than preparing for one specific job title. It’s about building the skills that will stay useful no matter where you end up.

What lasts longer are the habits and abilities you develop along the way: learning how to communicate clearly, solve problems, work with other people, adapt when things change and continue learning long after you leave the classroom.

College is one of the few times in life when you are constantly surrounded by opportunities to practice those things — in class discussions, group projects, internships, leadership roles, conversations, failures and new experiences. Take advantage of that.

Be present.

I don’t have to tell you that finals are stressful. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of schoolwork. Of course you need to stay focused and finish strong.

Try not to get so caught up in what’s next that you miss what’s happening right now.

Go to the event, the gathering, the thing. Stay longer than you planned. Let yourself notice the small things while they’re still familiar. The people you’ve spent four years with are about to scatter, and you won’t all be in the same place again for a long time, maybe ever.

So while you’re here, let yourself be here.

Remember to say thank you.

Nobody gets to this point alone. Professors, coaches, advisors, friends, parents, coworkers, mentors and so many other people helped you become the person you are now, even in ways you may not fully realize yet.

Before you leave, tell a few of them that what they did mattered. Make sure the people who helped shape your life know they made a difference.

Congratulations on graduating, and good luck with whatever comes next!

You don’t need to have everything figured out right away. Just stay curious, stay open and make the most of the time and people in front of you.

The next chapter comes faster than you think.