I know graduating from university should be such a happy time because you’re finally done with the stress of studying and cramming for assignments but as stressful as it was, I’m going to miss school A LOT. It’s a weird feeling to not be going back to school this year. As the first day of school came and gone and I was not in attendance, it honestly felt like I was skipping class. I should have been there. It’s still surreal that for the first time in eighteen years, I didn’t have a first day of school. And although I definitely am relieved, I am also going to miss a couple things about school.
1. Not picking out my first day of school outfit.
For years and years, that has been the first thing on my mind when back to school time comes around. My biggest stress was often finding the perfect outfit to start me off for the new school year. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and check out some of my previous first day of school outfits!
First day of grade 12 outfit (video): https://when-im-older.com/post/30895427320
First day of first year of uni outfit (video): https://when-im-older.com/post/60184139005
First day of fourth year of uni outfit: https://when-im-older.com/post/150172490546/first-day
2. Not seeing my bestie every single day.
I spent 3 of my 5 years of university alongside my best friend who had every single class with me. She was my rock during that time and I honestly don’t think I could have stayed sane without her.
3. Not going school supply shopping for the cutest notebooks that I’ll never touch because who actually takes handwritten notes these days.
School supplies are so stinkin’ cute but also damn, why do they have to be so expensive? Nonetheless, I always prided myself on having the cutest school supplies all throughout my education. They definitely helped my will to study and do well in school!
4. Not having the goal of graduation to look forward to.
For so long, graduation always seemed like the ultimate end goal but now that it is here, I have to admit, I feel a little lost. I don’t know what the future holds for me right now and that’s definitely a little scary. Everything is unknown.
5. Not having summers off.
Summers were by far the best part of university. Four months off with a full time job at Shoppers Drug Mart as my only responsibility? Yes please. It helped keep me sane and gave me something to look forward to when I spent those dreaded weeks studying for days on end. Now that I’m starting my full time job, I won’t be getting summers off anymore. That’s devastating
6. Not having the feeling of getting back a test that you thought you bombed but you actually got an A+.
Although the actual test writing was the bane of my existence and way too stressful for my liking, nothing could beat that feeling when you aced a test that you were so worried about. Luckily that feeling happened a lot more times than the feeling of actually failing a test which I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy.
7. Not feeling that first day of school excitement where you run into all those friends you haven’t seen all summer.
I was the most social version of myself every first day of school where you get to catch up with all these people you might not have been able to see since last year and compare all your exciting summer adventures.
8. Not having to study.
Wait what Taylor?! You actually miss studying? Yes I do. I miss the feeling of learning new things and knowing that I’m filling my brain with new knowledge and slowly becoming smarter. Everyday that I’m away from school, I feel like I’m forgetting more and more crucial bits of knowledge. I gotta crack open those books y’all.
9. Not getting the opportunity to meet all these new people.
I feel like university is the perfect place to meet like-minded (and some not-so-like-minded people) to network and make life-long connections with. It’s so much harder in life after school to make friends and meet new people. There’s no other experience in life where you will be surrounded by thousands and thousands of different people on a daily basis who are all going through the same thing you are.
10. Not having the same routine anymore.
I went to school for eighteen years. For eighteen years, I woke up, went to school, came home, did homework, studied and had summers off. It was the same thing every year with minor changes really. And now, everythingis changing. But changes are good. And I can’t wait to see where the future is gonna go and what it’s going to bring me.
For those of you going back to school, enjoy it and treasure it because it’s all over before you know it. And those entering the real world like me, we got this. Let’s follow our passions and become the best versions of ourselves.