Being a senior in college is HARD. Don’t get me wrong, college is hard in general, but I’m sick of people being excited for senior year. The past four years I’ve written columns under the name “thoughts from a (insert year here)” but this is the first time that I am truly speaking as a senior, on behalf of seniors everywhere.

WE ARE TIRED. I cannot stress this enough, college has worn me down and I am ALWAYS tired. Not only am I tired but I have no time to recuperate. None. Allow me to explain.

I have waves of homework that are drowning me more effectively than the ocean could ever even dream of doing. In addition to this, I’m taking all of the classes that I have been putting off for the entirety of my college career, so not only do I have mountains of homework taller than the Himalayas, but it’s homework that nothing in me wants to do.

On top of the flooding work loads that I am paying for the opportunity to do, there are the outside pressures of what comes after graduation. Where do I want to work? What am I going to do with my life? Can I even find a job? When should I start applying for jobs? How early is too early? Also, once I find a job, will I be able to find a place to live? Now I’m not only working on my sociology research paper, but I’m working on my portfolio, deciding what work I’ve done that is valid enough to actually get me a job. HOW AM I GOING TO PAY BACK STUDENT LOANS?!

There are also emotional stressors, these are less extreme, but I’ll just say that I’ve never felt guilty for being a good student, until now. People constantly saying things like “Don’t forget to enjoy college, it’s the best time of your life!” make me feel sad and stressed. Sad that those people truly believe that they peaked in college and have minimal positivity to live for and stressed that I’m wasting all of college studying. Pretty bass awkward if you ask me, but yes I have been stressing about the fact that I’m not spending enough time with my friends, even though I simply do not have more time to spend with them.

Another realization that pulls on my heartstrings is the fact that this is my last year of rugby. A lot of people that play sports or are a part of clubs can probably relate to the fact that when I think about my life without rugby, or about not seeing my amazing rugby girls every day, it does make graduation a bit less appealing.

College is hard, it’s overwhelming, it’s stressful, it’s full of frustration and anger and tears and every emotion in between, but in the end, senior year is stressful because I know that I am almost done. The majority of me is screaming for freedom, fully prepared to build myself a life, but a little part of me wants to sneak back into my freshman dorm and hold onto it like a security blanket.

The bottom line is, be kind to your local seniors, I swear we are trying.