When senior Tony Weaver was a freshman, the thought of graduation used to wake him up at night. Now, in the final days of his senior year at Elon University, Weaver is ecstatic to walk across the stage for Commencement May 21.
“Graduation has been something I’ve been planning for since the day I stepped foot on this campus,” Weaver said. “It can’t really sneak up on me because I know it’s been coming this whole time, so I prepared for it.”
From the moment freshmen receive their acorn under the oaks, the realization strikes them that they will experience much growth by the time they graduate. Now seniors, they realize their college careers are coming to an end. For most of their lives, many seniors had an expectation of where they were going, what they would be doing and where they would be living. But many face an uncertain future with a barrage of questions on their minds during the next few months.
“When I think of graduation, I think of uncertainty,” said senior Lauren Eckstrom. “For the first time in more than four years, you really don’t know what you’re jumping into. It’s basically like an unwritten book I guess, and its kind of scary because its something totally new.”
Along with the stress of capstones, research theses and other final examinations spring semester offers, the main culprit for seniors’ worries is the post-grad job hunt.
After the caps are tossed, seniors enter the “real world.” Amber McCraw, assistant director of career services for the School of Communications, said a lot of seniors who come to her thinking they are doing something wrong only need to fix little things like their resume and cover letters.
Because most jobs open up during the summer, she said not having one is entirely acceptable.
“It’s OK not to have a job after graduation,” McCraw said. “It takes time and it’s all about finding the right fit for you and the company. It’s hard because I know you want to know where you are going next, but having the patience and being persistent and staying organized will help you out a lot.”
While the idea of starting a new journey is associated with graduation, it is paired with the closing of another journey.
Lasting friendships are formed during the four-year college process. Not being in a central location makes it difficult to maintain these relationships, so senior Eric Hernandez is trying to use his remaining weeks at Elon to ensure his experiences stand the test of time.
“I know I won’t be able to see this person as often anymore,” Hernandez said, thinking of his friend. “I think it’s just the little things [I’ll miss the most].”