Mid-College Crisis

Photo by Nicole Pierick

Congratulations. You just enrolled in classes for your senior year. Where did the last two and a half years go? You thought graduating early would be a great idea, that you would be able to start your life and enter the “real world.” Suddenly, you start thinking about what next year is going to hold.

You thought everything was going as planned, that you were set in your decision to become a lawyer. But then people start asking what your plan for next year is. You freeze. You’ll be taking the LSAT, a test that holds the key to your future, in just a few months. Are you ready?

In an effort to assure yourself you’re on the right path, you look up sample questions. Oh … these are … hard -- they don’t even make sense.

Who cares how many codes you can make out of four numbers?

Why does this even matter?

What am I doing?

Am I stupid? Oh Gosh, I am stupid.

What did I even come to college for?

Did I even learn this?

Does this even matter?

Should I even go to law school?

Should I even try to take this test?

What else am I going to do with my life?

Suddenly, tears are flying down your cheeks faster than you can answer any of these questions.

You try to calm yourself down and think about what your backup plan is. Minutes go by and you’ve come up with absolutely nothing. Then it dawns on you: McDonald’s. You’re going to work at McDonald’s forever.

“Would you like fries with that?”

And here come the tears again. Everything seems to be falling apart and you suddenly feel compelled to tattoo “dumbass” across your forehead.

Robert Frost told you to take the path less traveled, but he didn’t tell you that path had lions and bears waiting to, not only tear you limb from limb, but to then push you off a cliff.

But don’t worry, you won’t die. You’ll just be left wishing one of those bears would have put you out of your misery.

Sound familiar? Oh good, I’m not alone. We are just going through a mid-college crisis.

As I am sitting here, trying to survive, working on yet ANOTHER homework assignment, on top of trying to study for the LSAT and practicing every day, plus clubs and trying to have a social life, I’ve come to realize how necessary this article it. People need to know that mid-college crises are normal.

I talked with senior Savannah Holland about her college experience, wondering if she has ever hit the dreaded mid-college crisis.

“All the time,” she says.

She balances softball and work, all while perusing her engineering major -- she definitely has a full plate.

I asked if she ever spends time crying about her future like me, and she said she has a quick 10-minute cry every day but keeps it moving.

When I asked Holland when she plans on graduating she says, “I don’t even know if I am anymore.”

Solid. So I’m not the only one who considers dropping out when something doesn’t go my way.

Holland releases her stress by playing real-life Fruit Ninja. Yep, it is exactly what it sounds like. She goes out to a field and hits fruit with a bat. That is something I will be partaking in from now on.

I hope you all know that article was meant to be funny in an effort to feel better about not knowing what the next year of my life is going to hold. I wish I could give you advice on how to get through your mid-college crisis. Maybe you could dye your hair red and pierce your eyebrow. I’d probably hold off on a tattoo because those are kind of permanent.

All joking aside, it is completely normal to hit the panic button sometimes, especially as you realize you aren’t quite sure what the future is going to hold. Many of my friends have also experienced times like this, and guess what? Here we are, surviving the unknown.

I don’t really know how to end this article because I should have had some tips or advice, but I don’t. So … go hit some fruit or something.