Real-world reality check hits seniors before senioritis

As I ventured on campus to be­gin my 'last first day' of college, a range of emotions fell over me. Although I was excited that I was finally a senior and considered the big dog on campus, I also felt scared thinking about the near fu­ture. In just over nine months, it will be time for me to step out of the utopia that I call college and enter into the real world.

My advisors, parents and super­visors at my McDonald's intern­ship, constantly tell me to enjoy my time in college, there is noth­ing like it. As I reflected on those words, I realized how true they really are. College is a once in a lifetime experience that cannot be compared to anything else.

For most of us, college is our last opportunity to relax before we enter into the corporate world where we will be forced to play by corporate rules.

It will no longer be okay for us to make mistakes and blame them on the fact that we are young or inexperienced.

We will not be able to challenge the status quo; we cannot ques­tion why certain things are done the way that they are or speak up when we feel unfairly treated.

No longer will I be able to wake up and start my day at noon.

I will work in a corporate envi­ronment where my laid back attire consisting of jeans, a tee shirt and Converses will no longer be seen as appropriate.

I now see how important college is. College is a transition period that molds our views on life or re­affirms them. In college, we are free to be who we want to be and go on a journey to discover who we really are. We had the chance to pick a major or study fields that peak our interest. We become members of clubs and attend ac­tivities that spoke to us.

We linked up with various com­panies through internship and see what career options we like and which ones we dislike. If a certain internship does not work it, we can just say okay and move on to the next one. In college, we dis­cover our career path.

Although I think that no one will miss the homework, long tedious readings, midterms and finals, col­lege is a once in a lifetime experi­ence in which I was able to meet and interact with a wide range of individuals.

Because of this, I decided this year to get more involved on cam­pus and continue my journey to self-discovery.

As much as I am excited to walk across the stage and grab my di­ploma, I know that I will truly miss Seton Hall University and all of the bonds with classmates and staff.

And then I will have to begrudg­ingly face the real world.

Briana Knox is a senior jour­nalism major from South Or­ange, NJ. She can be reached at

briana.knox@student.shu.edu.