Post Classifieds
Life after college is scary, intriguing
By Jasmine A. Willis
On April 10, 2013
Soon, the papers, tests, lectures and sleep-deprived nights spent studying will come to an end for
some of us.
Some of us are getting our caps, gowns and tassels as we plan our big celebration. We are
starting to count down the days to when we walk down the aisle and get acknowledged for all
our hard work. All things must come to an end, so that we can begin the next chapter of our
story.
It is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. It can be scary whenever we get close to the
end of one thing and the start of another.
When I graduated from Genesee Community College in 2010 it was hard to say goodbye. I felt
like I was not ready to let go of that part of my story, although I had been there for a long time. I
had mixed-feelings about leaving.
On one hand, I was glad to finally be done and be going off to a new college. On the other hand,
I was heartbroken. This place had taught me so much, and it had become a home.
Now I am going to be leaving Buffalo State. I will get that hard earned BA in Journalism on May
18. I will have to say goodbye once more to a place that has become a home. Buffalo State has
taught me how to go about approaching my dreams. We have had some hard times together. We
have pushed through those obstacles and come out stronger. I will never forget Buffalo State.
The job searching part is going to be rough on us. We have to apply all that we have learned out
here. Out there seems like a really scary place filled with uncertainty.
We have to send out endless resumes and cover letters, while going to countless interviews. We
have to try to find a place that fits us and that we can make a home for the next four or five years
of our lives. That is what life is all about. You find your home, and when it comes time to move,
you can make sure you have another home to go to.
Robert Frost once wrote about his care-free youth, "So was I once a swinger of birches, and so I
dream of going back to be, one could do worse than be a swinger of birches."
I think on that as I come to the end of my college days. Really, this is the end of our carefree
youth. We have to go out there and try to put all we learned into action. It doesn't mean we
can't dream of going back to that carefree existence we once knew. We will return to that again
someday once we have retired. After all, one could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
The next chapter of our story all depends on our own hopes and dreams. It all depends on how
willing we are to reach for them as long as it takes. We are all going off into different directions.
We may never see each other again, but for one day we all come together one last time. We all
put on those caps and gowns. We all walk down that isle. We all get to wish each other the best.
As the papers, tests, lectures and sleep-deprived nights come to an end we have that bittersweet
feeling of saying goodbye. It is exciting to be starting our career paths, and it is scary to let go.
On that day, not so very far away, I want all those who will be joining me to take a deep breath. I
want you to look at the last few years of your life and reflect. I want you to embrace all that you
have learned here.
When you walk off that stage and back to your seat, after you have moved your tassel to the
other side, I want you to congratulate yourself on making it to the end of this chapter. Don't be
afraid of what comes next. I have a feeling we are all going to be just fine.
Jasmine Willis can be reached by email at willis.record@live.com.
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