By Juliana Seaman
A new chapter of life is waiting around the corner for many students at The University of Tampa. As graduation may feel like a relief, embarking on a new journey can be a little overwhelming for some. Hard decisions such as figuring out what path to take, how to save money, and leaving your friends behind are never fun to make. Luckily, having all the time and freedom in the world after graduating from college allows room for growth and opportunities.
Being a senior, I would say I am more excited than nervous to graduate from UTampa. However, there are many stressors about adulthood that keep me up at night. For instance, graduating with a communications degree enables a broad spectrum of career choices. Choosing a career path is a huge decision to make when you are unsure of what you want to do in the future.
Navigating life after college can and will probably feel overwhelming at first. Aside from worrying about finding a job, many students have to think about where they plan on living. Personally, being from Connecticut, I am unsure of where I want to live after college. As much as I love the city of Tampa, saving money on rent by living at home sounds really nice. Similarly to me, many UTampa students are from out of state, and graduation leaves us to make these decisions.
But a beautiful perspective on entering adulthood is realizing that it is okay not to know what to do. As young adults, we are dipping our toes in the water with our future to see what we do and do not like. It is important to try new things and experience what life has to offer.
Embracing the adult version of yourself invites many possibilities. Morphing into an adult allows you to make your own decisions and be your authentic self. Being on your own does not have to be scary when you really take advantage of free will. We, as young adults, are free to do whatever, see whatever, and meet whoever we want moving forward and that is something I am most looking forward to post graduation. The relief of not having to worry about submitting an assignment on Sunday before 11:59 p.m. is also a plus.
Throughout my journey at UTampa, I was privileged enough to be able to live on campus for my first two years. After my sophomore year, I had no choice but to look for off-campus housing. Responsibilities like finding a job to be able to afford an apartment made me feel rushed into a glimpse of adulthood. With that being said, I had to sacrifice certain “college experiences,” like spring break or weekends at SoHo, to budget my money. The thought of being able to make adult-like money to afford my expensive habits motivates me to keep working hard.
The University of Tampa taught me more about myself than I anticipated. Disregarding my academic ethics, I acknowledge my growth as a more mature and responsible adult. As much as I am going to miss being a college student with minor challenges, I am thrilled to experience life on my own. Journeying through life is definitely going to take a few test runs; however, it is enticing to be able to be who you are and do the things you want to do.
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Photo courtesy of Juliana Seaman.