BY: Taniya Frazier
You just found out that graduation isn’t happening as soon as you thought. It may take you another year, or maybe another semester. Hey, it happens. I wish I could say that it doesn’t happen as much as it does, but I can’t.
There are so many emotions that come with finding out you won’t graduate when you intended to: failure, loss of motivation, or no sense of direction. These are just a few feelings I have experienced, but they are also what current and previous peers feel. I have learned that everyone graduates in their own time. The rate for graduating in four years is low–plans of study change, financial assistance gets tricky, and mental health isn’t taken as seriously. There are so many factors in pursuing an undergraduate degree that many people don’t discuss. I thought the biggest problem I would ever encounter was staying out too late at parties or gaining the “freshman 15”, which let’s be honest, it happens.
I sat down with a fellow classmate and talked about this specific topic on a personal level. Due to the depth of the conversation, I won’t disclose her identity, but she is enrolled at AUM in hopes of becoming a nurse. We discussed her thoughts on graduation and what she’s going to do after college. She explained, “Sometimes I feel a little down because everyone I started with could be leaving, or I may be held back for other reasons. As long as you stay confident in what you want to do, you’ll see that not everyone can graduate on time. Their story or college journey isn’t yours. Graduating later also annoys me because I feel like I wasn’t completely responsible for it. I wasn’t guided in the right direction and that delayed me. After college, life for me could mean anything. I’m open to all possibilities. When we make plans, God laughs. I just know I’ll be a kick-butt nurse after.”
Pursuing a degree in college takes so much courage and motivation. Without a strong support system, motivation, and the will to push through, anyone can be at risk for dropping out. I applaud everyone who is pursuing higher education. Stay motivated and trust your own process. Your timeline and outside factors may change, but your goal will remain the same. If you need personal time to re-establish priorities, focus on your mental health, and figure out what’s next for you, then do it!
This is the time to buckle down so that you can finish your race. When I got the news that I wasn’t going to graduate when I thought I was going to, I was devastated. I wanted to drop out. Some days I still do, but that’s okay. It’s normal to be discouraged; however, the important thing is not to give up hope. I may want to quit, but I won’t.