A Letter from a Graduating Junior
“Enjoy college, four years goes by fast!” This famous cliche leaves the mouths of family members and friends as each college freshman leaves their hometown. But what happens to those who don’t have a regular university experience and decide to graduate early?
As someone who decided to take that route, along with many others in my class, the last two years have been nothing but normal. And believe me, graduating early has its pros and cons.
I entered Marist with 18 credits from AP and ECE courses from high school, with a plan to major in Communications with a concentration in Journalism. That being said, I also entered Marist amidst a global pandemic and without closure on my high school experience. I always knew that with my accumulated credits that I would be able to graduate by the winter of my senior year, but after many advisor meetings and course organizing, it was determined that I could also do it by the spring of my junior year.
The first response that my parents gave me was, “Why would you ever want to do that?” They thought I was crazy. College was the best four years of their lives, where they were free to be adults without any real responsibilities. For me and for a majority of the Class of 2024, college has not really been the “normal” experience that our parents had. And it is true: I will be missing out on a full year of meeting new people, living away from home, and late night McDonald’s runs after River Thursday.
For me, college was nothing like I imagined it to be. My class started off unable to have our dorm doors open, attend club meetings or sporting events, sit down in the dining hall, or even go to the bathroom without having a mask on. That being said, it was extremely difficult to make friends or even meet the people living right next to you.
So both freshman and sophomore year were not what they seemed. I went through four different roommates before finding my perfect fit, only for her to end up transferring for this upcoming semester. When I found out that my other perfect fit roommate was graduating early too, it made it easier when I felt we could do it together.
No, things may not have been ideal, but there still were good things that came out of college. I have gone through different jobs and found out that journalism and graphic design are how I want to spend the rest of my life. The Marist Circle has been a place for me to express my feelings to the community and advance my skills for future challenges. And now, the close friends that I have made will continue to stand by my side past graduation.
While I feel like I may miss out on certain senior activities, the past two years were nothing like what I thought they would be, and I don’t necessarily mind leaving school early. Still, I will be a college graduate before I even turn 21, which also isn’t very ideal.
I will be thrown into the real world in eight short months. Will I have less student loans to pay off? Yes. Will I be mentally prepared to be an adult? I haven’t figured that out yet. For all of you who are taking this same route as me, or even a similar one by graduating a semester early, know that it is all going to work out for you in the end. If you are having doubts, there is no shame in staying a little longer for one more semester to bang out an internship or a few more courses. It really is a big decision that will affect the course of your life.
Personally, I find this as an accomplishment that I was able to do four full years of college in just three. I am proud of who I have become in the last two years, but especially the past six months. It has not been an easy journey and this next semester is going to be hectic, but as another cliche states, “the tassel was worth the hassle.”