It’s funny to be writing this post now, since I have been back at Hopkins for about a month, but it is truly not until now that I have felt readjusted to being back at at school. On the tails of a year abroad and a challenging internship this summer (with a dream job offer!), I have to say it’s pretty funky to be back and to be a senior. Things are much more overwhelming and much less overwhelming than I remember.
Here’s a list of some things that happen when you’re a senior undergraduate:
1) You appreciate your friends so much more. Remember those days you used to walk to the FFC at midnight or crammed for a test that you thought would be the make or break of your existence? Well, I certainly do, and I remember the exact people who I did all of that with. When you’re a senior, you totally start to understand all the crazy experiences you had with other members of your class and how important those people are to you because of them. I am so lucky to have the friends I have had the past three years, and that I get one more year of fun with them now.
My first friend at Hopkins!
2) You spend much more time thinking about your upcoming job (or your potential upcoming job), instead of your classes. This is definitely true. All of we seniors are spending most of our brain power debating which industry we want to go to or deciding what color suit to purchase. All of that stuff we are learning in lectures? Unless it applies to what we’ll be doing in nine months, we really couldn’t care less.
3) Any exam you have to take is prioritized over your classes. GRE? MCAT? CFA? (That last one is a little out of the box, but that’s what I’m doing!). Seniors have to think about grad school or the next step in their careers, so I can assure you that we all have prep books stacked up right next to our desks or bedside tables.
4) Everything makes you sentimental. A slideshow with memories from past outdoors trips? A hug from a freshman? The way the wind is blowing through the Decker quad? Literally, any moment is a chance to be sentimental and reflect on all the experiences you have had through your undergraduate time. Whether provoking a tear or a laugh, there are so many opportunities to reminisce.
One of my favorite memories from this year’s outdoors trip (Pre-O!)
I am so excited to be a senior at this fine institution, and I am enjoying every day of classes, hanging out with friends, and reaching to become the best version of myself. Though some features of undergraduate life have definitely changed this year, the essence is the same. After all, what matters is that you’re trying your best, you’re working hard, and always moving forward. Here’s to my final year!
