As the semester is winding down, Ive noticed three consistent moods among people graduating on May 20: full acceptance that theyre graduating, half-acceptance and half-denial that theyre graduating or the joking thought that graduating on May 20 is the plan. As a graduating senior some people dont realize Im a senior and think Im a first-year, but thats fine, I guess I am solidly in the middle group. But thats not all.
As early as February, Ive seen fellow seniors post about their plans after college. Theyre going to grad school. Theyve got a job lined up. Theyve got some other amazing opportunity. Theyve got definitive plans for what theyre doing at least for the next couple of months. As for me, its May 2018, Ive worked my butt off all of college and I still dont have any clue what Im doing after graduation. All that I know for sure is I cant afford to take a year off to figure it out, and Im having so many mental breakdowns as a result. So much for work really hard freshman, sophomore and junior years so you can relax senior year, am I right?
So, lets talk about the taking it easy senior year myth. This whole notion of working so hard ones freshman, sophomore and junior years that one doesnt have to work much senior year is troubling and even frightening in many ways.
First, it assumes that everyone in the educational institution is on equal footing and each student has the same amount of resources available, which simply isnt true. Second, not all schools are created equal, so students schedules may not work out this way. Maybe its not possible to overload yourself with so many credits due to class size limitations or class availability. Third, needing to work endlessly freshman, sophomore and junior years to compensate for relaxing senior year only opens the door for students to set up unrealistic expectations for themselves. If they fail even one test, they feel like theyre not going to graduate. If they need an extension on an assignment, itll set them back further.
Going through this process continually makes the student feel like theyre a disappointment compared to the rest of their peers. Then, as a result, their mental health is negatively impacted. Sure, celebrities and big-time CEOs like to say you shouldnt be afraid of failure. You should embrace it because thats how they became celebrities and, in their minds, successful. To the extent of you shouldnt be afraid to make mistakes, I agree with this.
But, accepting failure is also harder to put into practice. No one wants to stand out as the person who failed, even if its only temporary. Students, as theyre trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be, dont want to be easy targets for their peers, teachers or other adults in their lives.
I say enough is enough with the work so you can relax senior year garbage. Students shouldnt have to work themselves to the bone at the price of their mental health just to satisfy societys obsession with productivity. Students shouldnt be pressured either by the real adults (the adults who arent in college, anyway) or their peers to get their lives together when you have people in their 30s, 40s and even 50s just starting to figure out what they want to do with their lives.
Some advice from the one whos tired of what are you going to do after graduation? questions: Dont ask that. If you find out someones a senior, dont let that be your first question. Dont ask the question that upholds the belief that productivity at all times leads to success, opening the doors for anxiety and depression. Instead, try asking about how they feel about graduating. Youll seem more like a person who cares rather than someone whos ready to be disappointed.
Its time we support students and their mental health instead of bringing them down if theyre not productive by our standards.
The views and opinions expressed in the Editorial section are those of the authors of the articles. They are not an endorsement of the views of The Chronicle or its staff. The Chronicle does not discriminate based on the opinions of the authors. The Chronicle reserves the right to not publish any piece that does not meet our editorial standards.