Senior Reflections: My College Journey and What’s to Come

Three years ago, my family helped me move into my freshman dorm. We often hear the saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun” and “the next four years of your life will fly by.” Early on in college, it’s hard to believe these statements. But now, as a senior, I can confirm their truth. So, how did we get here so quickly? Join me as I reflect on what I’ve learned and share my hopes for the next nine months leading up to graduation. 

Freshman year was a real challenge. Before moving in, I was struggling with severe depression and anxiety. Balancing school with my dance team schedule was tough, and on top of that, I was also dealing with friendship drama, shifting family dynamics, and personal issues. The fall of 2021 was particularly hard: my grandmother passed away, I felt my roommate disliked me, and being nearly five hours away from my family certainly didn’t help. Despite these challenges, I eventually found myself surrounded by people who cared deeply for me, both near and far. Somehow, I even managed to finish the year with a not-too-shabby GPA.

Sophomore year was also rough, but not for the same reasons. I was at an all-time academic low and was starting to doubt my abilities as a student. That was until I started to listen to my family’s advice about switching my major. During my second semester of sophomore year, I decided to change my major to psychology. By taking this leap of faith, I rediscovered my passion for school. 

During this year, I also decided to take a step back from the dance team. This break allowed me to explore new hobbies and focus on discovering who I was as a person beyond being a dancer. Initially, this was challenging because dance was such an integral part of my life since I was three years old. I never thought there would be a time when I wasn’t dancing. However, I came to realize that life has much more to offer than the hobbies we adopt early on. Once I felt I was in a better mental and emotional space, I auditioned for the dance team again.

Junior year felt like the most stable year of my life. I was confident in my ability to be successful and I channeled that energy into every aspect of life. This year was primarily defined by my first long-term relationship. While we are no longer together, he helped me realize so much about myself and I will cherish that forever. Aside from romance, academically, I finished with my highest GPA thus far in my college career. During my spring semester, I was named to the Dean’s and President’s lists and I received an award through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for outstanding academic work. Receiving this award significantly boosted my confidence and reaffirmed that I am a student capable of wonderful things that will be recognized and rewarded. 

As of now, I plan to attend graduate school in an accelerated program so I can get my PhD at the same institution. The hardest part about this process is figuring out what type of research I would do. I am interested in a lot of different topics in psychology. I suppose the beauty of this is that there are plenty of psychology programs that specialize in different topics. To avoid placing too much hope in getting into a graduate program, I am also going to look for jobs. Hopefully, this go-round will be more successful than the last. 

As a senior, I can confidently tell you that plans are sometimes meant to be derailed. I always say, if you want to make the universe laugh, tell it all about your plans. This isn’t to say that you can’t or shouldn’t make plans, but I would encourage you not to put too much faith in them working out. Take what you have gone through and channel it into something that will turn you into a version of yourself that you’re proud of. 

I am tremendously proud of all that I have accomplished. While there are times when I feel like I should be doing more, I have to remember that you cannot rush what is meant to happen. Good things come to those who wait, right? Remember, plans are simply a placeholder for what is meant to come to fruition. I am confident that the coming months will make me a better person, and I hope you will find comfort in my reflections and experiences shared here.