Posts Tagged ‘Senior Year’

Chapter 10: Not Goodbye Just See You Later

Monday, November 20th, 2023

I suck at goodbyes. I always cry or make inappropriate jokes to get everyone to laugh instead of being sad. With that being said, I’m absolutely terrified to say goodbye to some of my best friends at the end of my senior year займ 10000 рублей.

Luckily, I am a part of my university’s five year Master’s program and a few of my other friends are as well. But there are still a few that I’ll have to say goodbye to that I’m worried will likely end in all of us sobbing hysterically.

Not that there’s anything wrong with crying. Crying is an extremely healthy way to let out emotions and anyone who says otherwise is jealous of the way we are capable of portraying our emotions. The only reason I’m scared to cry when saying goodbye is because I’m a very ugly crier, but that’s just me.

I learned throughout my years at college that crying is seen all around campus. Which may sound depressing as hell, but it’s really not. Sometimes I’ll just be walking to the dining hall during finals season and I’ll hear someone sniffling and no one bats an eye because it’s so widely accepted. This was much different than my experience in highschool, but it was a new kind of difference that I was excited to welcome into my life.

Anyways, back to saying goodbye.

This isn’t my first time having to say goodbye to my friends. When I left high school, all of my friends and I went different ways. It was scary, but we knew it was for the best. Specifically when saying goodbye to my best friend of 16 years (at the time it was only twelve years), I knew there would be some tears. Her school was online for the first semester due to COVID and my school was open so I was moving to my new home for the next four years. We spent almost every day together during the summer, even with the pandemic going on. We found ways to hang out outside and wore masks so that we were still safe while taking in all the time we had left together. But when the day came where I had to leave, we still cried.


My best friend and I our senior year of high school, before COVID

I realize now that it was a bit foolish of us to cry. We still see each other and keep in contact all the time. It wasn’t really a goodbye, but more of a “see you later!”. The only difference in our friendship was that we weren’t seeing each other everyday, but even still we can text each other whenever.

And with that, I’m reminding myself all throughout my senior year that things won’t be completely different to how it was last time. Even though we won’t be living on the same campus, only a few minutes walk between each other, I know I will still see my friends and my roommate again. We’ve already discussed how we’ll meet up whenever we can and will aim to continue our tradition of a “Friendsgiving”.

Like I said before with my high school best friend, we also can text each other whenever. Thankfully we live in a technology based society now and it is much easier to keep in touch with friends than it used to be. We can send each other TikToks or funny videos on Instagram just to let each other know that we are still thinking of one another. We can also keep up with fun things happening around us and make plans to meet up at such events. For example, my friends and I are both fans of the same book series and one of us discovered there’s a themed ball/gala to celebrate that book series happening after graduation. We all are excited to see if we can go to celebrate the start of continuing our friendship after school.

When my friends and I finish walking across the stage with our diplomas we won’t say goodbye. We’ll just be saying see you later.


Some great memories of me and my friends!

Summary:

  • Saying goodbye has always been difficult for me
  • Crying is normal and healthy!
  • I had to say goodbye to my best friend after high school, but we still kept in touch so it wasn’t really a goodbye
  • How to stay in touch with friends after college

Go out to eat with friends and enjoy some free drinks with this coupon and student ID!

By Mia Ilie

Mia Ilie is a student at Pace University, graduating in May 2024 with a degree in Writing and Rhetoric and a focus on publishing. She grew up in Rockland, New York and is currently living in Westchester, New York where she attends school and works at a local bookstore. You can always find her with her nose in a book or screaming to Taylor Swift with her friends.


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Chapter 1: Where Do I Go Next?

Monday, September 18th, 2023

The date is October 4th, 2019. Just a few months before we’re forced to remain inside our homes and the only way we would talk to our friends would be through a screen.

I was a senior in high school and freaking out every day about where the hell I should go to college, what I would major in, or if I should even go to college because the idea of not living in the same vicinity as my dog was terrifying (note to self: after four years it is still very difficult not being with my dog everyday).


Me and my dog Coco graduating high school! (We have a co-dependent relationship)

I knew that the best decision would be to go to school because if I stayed back home while all my friends moved on, my already not great mental health would get even worse. So, with that in mind, I spent almost all of my free time researching different colleges, debating how far I should go, and deciding if I should actually listen to my mother when she said I would prefer a smaller campus compared to a big one. I was 17 so naturally that teenage angst told me that my mom didn’t know what she was talking about. Now at 21, I realize she knew exactly what she was talking about. Further proof that mother’s always know best, but that’s not the topic right now.

By the time application season rolled around, I had applied to about five or six schools with two schools on the top of my list. One was a school in Massachusetts that I visited once and thought was cute and despite being far from home, was still close to one of my brothers who lives in Massachusetts. The other school was Pace University, only thirty minutes from home with an alternate city campus if I wanted to go further.

On October 4th, 2019 I went on a tour that I didn’t know then, but would ultimately be the tour that made my decision to go to this school.

It started off as a regular tour with the generic tour guide claiming this is the best school ever while walking backwards and constantly reassuring the parents that this is the safest campus in New York and your child will be taken care of. Needless to say, I was bored out of my mind waiting for the tour to end so the actual fun part would begin.

I had a family friend who always felt like a sibling to me at this school who would give me the actual realistic tour and let me hang out in their dorm while my mom went to watch the baseball game (coincidentally my stepbrother’s school was playing against Pace that day). Together my friend and I walked around campus, sat in the dining hall (I took a bite of the french fries, they weren’t great but there’s a McDonald’s down the street), hung out with some of their friends, and then went back to their dorm to watch stupid YouTube videos. You know, the routine of almost every college student.

On December 10th, 2019, I got the acceptance letter to Pace University. By January 2020 I had heard back from all the schools I applied to and got into both of my top picks. I had no idea how I was going to make this decision because I struggle just deciding what I’m going to eat for lunch, so figuring out the next four years felt impossible. But, thankfully, my mom told me we could visit both schools again just to get a feel for each. I was hoping I could get a more personal tour of my second school so I could compare it to the one I got from Pace. However, before I got a chance to do so, we were locked into our homes.

Being a class of 2020 student affected me more than I thought it would. If it wasn’t for COVID, I honestly couldn’t say I’d be in the same position I’m in currently. When decision day came in I reflected on both schools and knew that Pace was the place for me. I already had a distinguished relationship with someone I trusted and knew that would help me find the courage to break out of my shell in school.


Me and my friend Cayleigh this past summer in 2023

With this friend close by, I could contact them for any questions I had, felt encouraged to actually go out, and just genuinely have someone there for me when needed. I’m forever so grateful to this friend for all they have done for me and I hope one day I can return the big favor they’ve done for me. (Hey Cayleigh, if you’re reading this, let’s go get some drinks with our moms and I’ll tell you how much I love you again).

Positive relationships are so beneficial not just for your mental health, but physical health as well. Better Health Channel’s website has a blog about how relationships help lower one’s anxiety and depression, which was something I was worried would worsen when going to college. I had already struggled with my mental health for years beforehand and going into an unknown school not knowing anyone would definitely affect my anxiety. Thanks to this existing relationship, my overall mood was significantly better as was my confidence in getting to know people.


Me the day I moved into my dorm in August 2020

In August of 2020 I finally moved into my first dorm at Pace University after several facetimes and conversations with my roommate. By then I had two established relationships that ultimately made my first week at my new school exciting rather than terrifying.Having a connection with someone can make new challenges in your life more enjoyable which it ultimately did for me.

Summary:

  • I had been struggling for a while about what college I should go to but thanks to my friendship with a student at Pace it made my decision easier.
  • I was a senior in high school during 2020, so I was in lockdown when trying to figure out which college I should commit to
  • This friendship made my confidence about entering a new stage in my life much better and lead me to not being afraid to reach out to new people (Including my roommate I mentioned at the end)

Every college student needs to stay caffeinated! Enjoy a free iced coffee with the purchase of any sandwich! Make sure to bring coupon and student ID!

By Mia Ilie

Mia Ilie is a student at Pace University, graduating in May 2024 with a degree in Writing and Rhetoric and a focus on publishing. She grew up in Rockland, New York and is currently living in Westchester, New York where she attends school and works at a local bookstore. You can always find her with her nose in a book or screaming to Taylor Swift with her friends.


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Quarantine Contemplation: We’re all just doing.

Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

At the close of 2020, I promised myself that I would take a gap year. After four years of juggling my academics, extracurriculars, relationships, and well-being, and considering the tumultuousness of the past year, I figured that everyone could use a break. I started planning my summer. Wake up, eat, eat, eat, sleep, repeat—the closest that humans can get to hibernation.

Then came January, February, and March, and upon a string of fortunate events, from becoming a mentor, to landing my first part-time job, to applying to graduate school, to entering an internship, to volunteering with an organization, to landing my second part-time job, to becoming a mentor (again), to accepting a fellowship, to being invited to present at a research conference, I decided to accept an offer for a third part-time job. I thought I’m already wearing all these hats, might as well fill up the closet.       

You don’t have to be a nurse to appreciate these busy-bee nursing memes. You just have to be…busy.

The dominoes fell, and my mind whirl winded.

Advocate in more spaces. Volunteer with more organizations. Pursue a remote global internship. Apply to the Fulbright program. Enroll in a TEFL certification course. Learn a new language. Join a research lab. Run a virtual marathon. Look for a fourth part-time job.

By mid-March, I was the most involved I’ve ever been. Feeling like I not only was capable but obligated to take on every opportunity I was extended, I cast myself a vote of confidence. No doubt I could balance these responsibilities and achieve my quality (and quantity) standard all the while maintaining my physical and mental health.

Super-busy-girl memes can be very helpful when you’re too tired to express how tired you are.

Right!

Right?

Certainly!

Uncertainly.

With summer inching closer by the day, I’m filled with what I can only describe as a bidirectional spiral of invigorating uncertainty. Over these last three months, I have thought more about my future than I ever have before, and yet, I still feel like I have no idea why I’m doing what I’m doing or what it even is that I’m trying to accomplish. On top of the shakiness of simply being a graduating senior and young professional, the blow and the blur of the pandemic only exacerbate this uncertainty.

While I’m determined to bat at nearly every pitch, I have friends who are ready to build their careers in full-time positions with laser focus. Some friends are preparing for medical school and higher education, wracking their brains, and wrecking their sleeping schedules. Others are siphoning their resources into self-care, determined to dedicate their summer and immediate post-grad plans to self-development and nurturing their passions.

All of these plans and proposals, all of these actions and initiatives, and yet, the question persists in so many people’s heads—now what?

Through all the spaces that I’m involved in, I’ve come to two (One-and-a-half? One? I’m not sure, I’ve never really been good with numbers) revelatory realizations. I do my best to avoid blanket statements, but here’s a comforter for you—no one knows exactly what they want to do or what they’re doing.

We’re all just doing.

And that’s okay.


Thoughtful consumption and self-care have never been more important — try some clean eats at LifeThyme Natural Market

by Christianne Evasco

Christianne is a senior at New York Univerity, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies (CAMS) and Creative Writing. Christianne’s endeavors are fueled by her passion to use her voice to help others harness the power of their own voices through therapeutically-creative means and to connect people through language and cultural exchange. In her free time, you can find her catnapping with her cats.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Senior Year

Tuesday, February 18th, 2020

Senior year—what a weird time. Your last year of college is so many things: exciting, different, stressful, sentimental. In my last semester ever as a college student, I have felt every feeling known to man. And now that I begin my job search, I am excited. I am also nervous and scared https://rusbank.net/offers/microloans/10000-rubley.. Excited because of the idea of fending for myself and starting the next chapter of life is riveting. Scared because I have to put myself out there; I have to be confident and fight for the career I want. That can be scary. What if I try my hardest but still don’t get the job I want? 

As I am just beginning this process, I am realizing that I am going to get rejected—but that is okay. The company that rejects me wasn’t meant to be the company I work for. I could compare this to what I have learned about relationships. If the guy you like does not show or tell you that he wants you back, then brush it off. And move on. There is no point in fighting for someone who doesn’t want you. Just like if after interviewing for a position you want and trying the best you possibly can, you don’t get another call-back, then it’s okay: brush it off, and move on. Your career is out there. You just have to find its beginning point.

Besides starting the job hunt, I am realizing in my senior year how much my perspective of college has changed. I used to walk around campus feeling so small; as I have made many connections over the years, the campus began to feel even smaller and smaller.

Now, I feel at home. I feel as though I found my people and my confidence has skyrocketed. I believe in myself as much as my friends and family do and that is something that took working on, but it became easier once I began to grow and learn here at James Madison University. Today, I walk around campus feeling as if I know what to expect. As a senior, I cherish all the memories I have made here. I have not only been taught academics—I have grown up here. I have learned how to be on my own. I have learned how to make connections that will last a lifetime. And I have learned how to be happy on my own.

College is not only about learning what is taught in your classes. It’s about setting you up for the real world, which I believe this school has done for me. College is a special place with special opportunities. If I were to give any advice to the underclassmen and incoming freshmen, it would be to take advantage of all of those opportunities. Colleges offer so much and it is all to better your life and your career. If you spend 4 years just trying to pass and just get by, that’s okay, but if you take your four years and jump on any and all opportunity presented to you, you will come out of school with a stable head on your shoulders, ready to take on the real world.

Be excited, be scared, be nervous. Senior year is pretty cool.

 

By Hannah Sternberg

Hannah is a rising Senior at James Madison University majoring in the School of Media Arts and Design with a concentration of Broadcast Journalism. She works for her schools weekly newscast called Breeze TV as a reporter. Her dream is to become a reporter but she also enjoys the entertainment production industry. One of her favorite things to do to relieve stress is dancing. 

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share