Most of us see graduation as the end to those many sleepless nights of studying. The end of the last-minute group assignment that got us to a degree, & now a job… but it’s more than that.
Graduation is a chance to look back at the last however many years you’ve spent getting a degree & reflect. Not just on what you’ve achieved academically, but also on how much you’ve grown.
It’s not just about the grades. It’s about the resilience, the friendships, the laughter (& the tears). It’s all those moments when you thought you couldn’t, but you did.
And if you think that graduation marks the end, trust me, it doesn’t.
When my final exam at UM ended, I thought that was it. No more stress, right… I had my buscade a few months later, which was the last thing we “had to do” as students. When it was over & I got home, I cried for 30 minutes straight. I couldn’t believe that that was it. No fireworks, no gradual end, nothing but 40 students literally walking their separate ways after 3 years of shared experiences.
I hated the idea that from now on, we’ll just refer to each other as “former classmates”. I hated the fact that I knew that that was the last time I’d ever see the inside of those faculty walls.
It’s like when you get through 9 seasons of FRIENDS & finish the last episode. That emptiness, knowing there's nothing left. That's what it felt like.
Looking back, it's insane how much we've changed. Those 1st-year photos? Barely recognisable. Those weird strangers in the course group chat? They turned into my best friends that I wouldn’t change for the world.
Looking back at these last 3 years, I stop & see just how much we’ve achieved. Jobs, wisdom, opportunities, experiences. I just really wish I had appreciated it more when it was going on.
And isn’t that what University is about? It's about the late-night talks, the spontaneous road trips, the ridiculous inside jokes, & the shared struggles of friends with 1 common thread.
Now, here’s the fun part – we can do whatever we want. Graduation is like being handed the steering wheel of your life for the 1st time. There's no roadmap, no syllabus, no professor, parents, or nanniet telling you what's next.
Loved your course? Amazing! Keep going & get a job in the same line. Didn’t like your course? Take a different direction & try something else. Want to work as a surfing instructor on the beaches of Honolulu? F*cking. Do. it. Experimenting & trying things is a great way to figure out what you want.
The thing is, the ball has always been in our court. We only realise it now because we have nothing more to look forward to based on a structure of “what you’re supposed to do”.
Let's talk about the system – that conveyor belt of primary, secondary, 6th form, university, job. Unfortunately, it’s not for everyone. But here's the thing: as graduates, we've earned something more valuable than a degree – perspective.
We’ve gained the emotional intelligence to question - 'Is this what I really want?’. The system likes churning out cookie-cutter professionals. But newsflash, you don’t have to be one.
It's okay to take risks & deviate from the norm. Why rush through life trying to fit into a box? It’s about making the uncomfortable comfortable, about finding what makes you tick, & it’s about time we start caring about what we enjoy.
To anyone studying right now, cherish it. You don’t realise how fast it passes you.
On the other hand, to anyone graduating - we’ve done it. It’s up to us to decide where we go next, & that’s the coolest thing ever.
Lastly, for anyone stressing because they haven’t figured it out yet… No one has it figured out. A piece of paper you’ll frame just so your parents can boast about it doesn’t define your direction.
Whether you're into the 9-5 grind or dreaming of unconventional paths, it's all good. Your life is for you to sculpt & for everyone else to observe from a distance. And the time to sculpt is now.
