Most people dread the word “final” because it suggests the end is approaching, and consequently, change is also coming.
There are final days that suggest the end of one’s life is near, final goodbyes suggesting the end of one’s presence and company is near and final experiences which suggest the end of an event is near.
“Final Semester” is an unfortunate experience suggesting the end of college is near.
For those in denial of what this means: the end of college = the beginning of adult life.
To start preparing for adult life, here are eight questions every college student should ask themselves during their final semester:
1.) What do I want to do professionally? I remember asking myself this question during student teaching. And even though I ultimately decided to teach, exploring this question helped me to come up with back-up careers in case I eventually changed my mind.
2.) Where do I see myself in 5 years? This is a question I wish I asked myself in college. Answering this will help you to determine the short- and medium-term goals that will help accomplish those long-term goals you have.
3.) Do I want to focus on my personal or professional life? Again, I did not ask myself this question when in college, but I wish I did. Because of that, I focused solely on my career and discovered later on I would’ve liked to focus on both these things.
4.) Am I willing to relocate? To no surprise — this is another question I didn’t ask myself, or even immediately after college for that matter. I assumed I’d be willing to do so, and did when given the opportunity. While I’m glad I relocated, it would’ve been better to give it more thought when there was time to.
5.) Have I done everything I wanted to do in college? I asked myself this question often, and I’m glad I did because I’m satisfied when looking back at my experience. However, I think I’m one of the few that can confidently say this, so make sure you grapple with this question.
6.) Is my resume up to date? In asking myself this question, I took advantage of my college’s career services, where they helped me craft a strong resume. If you want to utilize these services, ask yourself this sooner rather than later.
7.) When will my student loan payments start coming in? My dad eased loan payments onto me, so I was lucky. Not everyone can be that fortunate, but most people should start pondering this in order to plan accordingly.
8.) How can I avoid senioritis? Most of us know it is coming, but don’t ask this question. Go against the grain and ask it so you can come up with a plan of attack — you’ll need it.
Look, I totally understand. These are questions you prefer to avoid answering as a college student. If you refuse to answer them, they’ll just go away — right?
I thought this too, but but that couldn’t be further from the truth. These are essential life questions that will always remain until you choose to answer them.
With adult life fast-approaching, force yourself to answer these eight questions. Doing so will allow you to finish out your final semester of college strong and hit the ground running once you enter the real world.
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*Section Photo credit to careeredge.bc.edu and Featured Photo (above) credit to sanfranciscosentinel.com.
