We start college with our minds set on the goal: to finish it and find a good job, but as the moment approaches, the fear of graduating appears. A serious relationship
The first year of college is always weird, getting used to the new way of studying, the more crowded classes, the university idiosyncrasy, and some people even have to adapt to a change of residence and a new city. Starting is exciting and terrifying, and many other good and bad things, but we have in our heads that when it's over, we'll do... There are many emotions in this new stage and in the feeling that you are creating your future, but these initial goals fade away as the years go by. It's not that they are lost, they are buried under exams, assignments, classes... Getting a college degree will take us a minimum of four years of our lives, and during that time, we will acquire new habits, meet different people, and experience many things for the first time, so when the end approaches, no matter how much we want to graduate and get our university
eTítulo, we will know that it will mark the end of a very important stage and that we have to venture into the unknown.
Complicated endings
We can, for those who can, pursue another degree, a master's, a doctorate, and continue extending the student period like a chewing gum, but many don't want or can't afford to do that. And there will come a time when we will have to make a living. Whatever we do after finishing college, when the last year comes, the general feeling is the desire to finish and, at the same time, a fear of graduating that can even generate anxiety. Endings always bring some anguish no matter how much we desire them. It is normal to feel a certain uneasiness when finishing a stage of our lives, especially if it is such an important stage as being a student. If we stop to think, we have never known anything else: we have never stopped studying since we started in elementary school. Faced with something as strange as not having to do it anymore, it is logical that we feel this common fear of graduating. What can we do?
Accept our emotions
When the fear of graduating starts to appear, we must accept it and understand it. It is normal, and that is how we should see it. If it is only a small fear that falls within normal parameters, we should not worry. Faced with such an important change in our lives, it is logical to feel something, not remain indifferent.
Talk to classmates
If the fear of graduating appears, it will be good for us to talk about it with someone who is in the same situation or with our loved ones, but always with people who will not downplay or ridicule our feelings. Talking about it with empathetic people will help us. Also, with people who have gone through the same thing or who enjoy their work so that they can tell us about their day-to-day life and help us overcome the fear of entering the job market.
Put things into perspective
When the fear of graduating is making us overthink, we need to stop and
put things into perspective. What is happening to us happens to almost everyone, and it is just another stage in everyone's life. Some people leave their studies earlier, and others later, and it's okay. Some people abandon it and never set foot in a classroom again, while others continue learning throughout their lives. Some people return to studying after many years, and some people want nothing to do with picking up a book again. It is just the end of a cycle, not the end of life.
When should we be concerned about the fear of graduating?
When it is generating a high or very high level of anxiety or when we see that we are sabotaging ourselves. If the anxiety about what is to come or what we will leave behind is increasing, we should consult with a psychology professional and follow their instructions. The fear of graduating, if not properly focused, can also make us procrastinate more than necessary, leave important assignments for later, not finish important work, and so on. The last year of college is not the best time to leave things hanging, especially because the following year we will be in a strange limbo where we will have one foot in each place: we will not be able to fully dedicate ourselves to the working world (we will lack the degree) and we will not enjoy the university life either, as we will attend few classes and be surrounded by strangers. If we are deliberately tripping ourselves up to avoid facing the fear of graduating, we need to stop, take a breath, and accept that the time has come. Surely, once the university stage is behind us, we will see that we have been scared for nothing.
