Senior Portraits
They all have one thing in common: None of them are really focused on school.
By Jill Phelan, St. Vincent College
My senior year of college is officially underway, and in reuniting with my fellow classmates, I’ve come to notice some patterns in their attitudes.
Right off the bat, I started my semester hitting the books—but on the down low, I’ve also been studying how my peers have been responding to their final semesters here at SVC. As such, I’ve grouped these people into the following five categories. Here are the five types of seniors you’ll encounter in your last year of college.
1. The Ones with Senioritis
I bet you probably could’ve guessed that this group would be on the list. After all, there was a whole term created specifically for people who just want to graduate as quickly as humanly possible.
Yes, these are the seniors who are so over it all. They have completely lost their ability to care about anything and have mentally checked out already.
After trudging through years upon years of school, they simply can’t muster up enough stamina to make it through the final push. They will be crawling across the graduation stage if they are lucky enough to make it there at all.
Before you reach the end of the term, though, you will probably be able to recognize these burned-out students very easily. They will more than likely wear pajamas and slippers to class (if they even show up, that is), and they’ll probably be hungover. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they walked in the room with a beer in hand.
The point is that you can expect them to be overtly audacious as a direct result of them not giving a shit.
2. The Ones with Graduation Goggles
If you’ve ever watched “How I Met Your Mother,” then you’ll know what I mean. But let me elaborate anyhow.
Whether or not the past four years were wonderful or miserable, these are the shmucks that get sappy and sentimental when the end of their journey is in sight. They recognize everything as being their “last” of something—last first day, last dorm room—you’ll start to hear that word get tossed around so much, it won’t even sound like a real word after a while.
You’ve also almost certainly heard your friends say by now, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it’s almost over—I’m going to miss you guys!” Yup, they’ve got their graduation goggles on, because suddenly they don’t want to be done with college anymore.
Don’t worry, though, the effects are only temporary—usually. There’s always those few adults who can’t seem to move on and are stuck wishing they could return to their glory days. Don’t be one of those people; they’re annoying.
3. The Ones with Rose Colored Glasses
No, I’m not referring to fashionable eyewear with this term. But the seniors who wear these metaphorical glasses are most often spotted at the very beginning of the semester, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to change the universe with their enthusiasm.
Their outlook is more cheerfully optimistic than a four-year old on the first day of preschool. The phrase “I’m so excited this is going to be the best year ever oh my gosh I can’t wait” will at some point escape their lips in a single breath.
Immediately, you’ll want to hit them for their naiveté, but you should fight the urge, seeing as the crushing realities of life will repeatedly bitch slap them for you in due time, once again restoring order to the world.
Call it karma, social justice or whatever else you prefer, just be thankful for it.
4. The Ones Without a Plan
You know them, I know them—they’re the brilliant students who are approaching graduation with their fingers crossed, hoping for opportunities to land in their laps.
When asked the infamous question, “What are you going to do with your major?” they will inevitably respond, “I don’t know yet.”
And then they’ll laugh nervously and try to play it cool, because secretly they are thinking, “Holy shit, what am I going to do after I graduate?”
Usually, these people make up the special breed that will receive their diplomas without having ever gotten an internship, a work study job, a volunteer position—basically, they’ve never worked a day in their lives. Spoiled brats.
Although, there are some that will have done everything in their power to prepare for a career, only to still be unsure of where their efforts would be taking them. They essentially worked aimlessly in preparation for, well, something—they just haven’t got a clue as to what that something is yet (in case you were wondering, this is the category I fall under…yay me).
You may not be able to pinpoint who these people are from looking at them, as they will keep their shame bottled up. But you’ll definitely know who they were after graduation. They’ll more than likely receive a big helping of that social justice I had talked about earlier.
5. The Ones with Mixed Emotions
If you found yourself relating to all of the above (or maybe just a combination of a few), then you clearly fall under this group.
I think it’s normal to be unsure of how you feel about moving on to the next chapter of your own personal story. The majority of college students have been in school for most of their lives—classes and homework are really all they know.
Sometimes the thought of entering into uncertainty can be exciting, and other times it can be frightening. Occasionally, it’s both simultaneously, and that really messes with your head. And then every once in a while, you don’t care what happens because you’re wiped out from working your ass off—but that feeling will pass, or so I hear.
I’d say that no matter what you’re experiencing, you’re not alone, given the types of seniors I’ve come across who all tend to act similarly. So just be thankful it’s your last year and embrace the fact that you’re a senior, baby!
