Three long years – that’s how long you’ve been studying for your undergraduate degree. It’s such a life-changing experience, setting you up for a career and a lifetime of memories, friendships and loyalty, that you will undoubtedly feel a mix of emotions on graduation day. Roll with it, you should feel proud of yourself.
Pride
Pride is a sin in The Bible and while we don’t advocate arrogance, you should feel proud of the hard work you have put in over the last few years. University is not for everybody. Think about those who fell by the wayside – those who left at the end of the first year because they didn’t make the cut, those who struggled, those who didn’t work very hard. Take pride in what you’ve achieved because you made it and you’ve graduated.
Apprehension
You’re probably already worrying about what happens next. The job market has been tough for graduates in the last few years. Although you may find there are many options available to you, there won’t be as much as there was around ten years ago. The hard work is not over, you will need to work hard to secure the right job and it could take many years. You probably already realise this but as the excitement of graduation dies down, it can give way to the blues.
Nostalgia
A bit like wanting to go back to a holiday destination you never wanted to leave, you will find yourself reminiscing about the good times. That’s a perfectly natural feeling. To some people, university is the best years of their life so it’s understandable to pine for those wonderful days in the library, the student bar, the nights out, the friends you made who now live so far away. You are going to miss your friends, of course you are.
Fear
Fear is another understandable emotion. If you’re going on to study a post-graduate course, you might worry about how you are going to get by. You might worry about whether you could cope with the workload and fear about whether you are making the right choice. Fear of the unknown is a perfectly normal response. After all, didn’t you feel fear when you started university, travelling across the country to a strange new town or city where you did not know anyone?
Excitement
Others say they feel excited about the future, looking deep into the unknown and waiting to see what happens next. If you have a sense of adventure, you may be feeling that way too. You will look forward to seeing those friends all over again and reminiscing about your time at university. Not knowing what will happen next and feeling the anxiety can be a great adrenaline rush.