The Hardest Parts About Being a Senior That No One Talks About

Everyone talks about how exciting senior year is. You’re almost done with your degree and one step closer to your career. But no one really talks about what it feels like to get there.

The hardest part isn’t the exams or figuring out what comes next. It’s realizing that the life you spent years building is slowly becoming one you have to leave behind. I began to realize how much I would have to give up. Growing up comes with a lot more goodbyes than I expected.

Right before starting my Respiratory Therapy program, I attended the Bison Catholic student leader retreat. I was excited to be there, but once I arrived, I realized I was the oldest person in the room. Suddenly, it hit me: the seniors I had gotten so used to seeing around weren’t there anymore, and my own time in that chapter of life was coming to an end, too.

1. Letting Go of the Organizations That Shaped You

After getting accepted into the RT program, I went on a walk with a friend who said, “I’m going to miss having classes on campus when I start my master’s program next year.”

Until then, I hadn't really thought about how much I’d miss it too. I wouldn’t be on campus in the same way anymore. No more student government, ambassadors or meetings for the organizations that had become part of my routine.

These weren’t just extracurriculars. They were places where I found community, learned to lead and grew more confident. Starting RT school was exciting, but letting go still hurt.

2. Leaving Jobs That Became More Than Jobs

Being a peer minister at the Newman Center was one of the most fulfilling jobs I’ve ever had. I got to serve a community I loved and build meaningful relationships. I also spent three semesters as a learning assistant for Mary Kenyon.

I realized I couldn’t keep doing everything as before. It felt like dismantling a house I’d spent years building. The jobs, routines, responsibilities and people I saw every week were slowly slipping away. Sometimes, life changes until there simply isn’t room for everything that came before.

3. Leaving the Organizations That Became Home Away From Home

Over the last couple of years, Bison Catholic has become home. I can’t count how many nights I’ve stayed at the Newman Center until 2 a.m. The conversations, spontaneous hangouts and late nights have become some of my favorite college memories.

It stopped being just a place for events. It became somewhere I found my identity, my people and a place to hang out between classes. And now? You probably won’t find me there past midnight anymore.

Schedules get busier, and you can’t always stay for one more conversation when you have an 8 a.m. class the next day. The community hasn’t disappeared. The place hasn’t changed. I’m the one whose life is changing.

I’ll always be grateful for Bison Catholic. Loving a community means accepting that your role can change while carrying its lessons forward and being grateful for the experiences and people who helped shape you.

4. Realizing Some Friends Only Signed Up for Three Years

Not everyone follows a four-year timeline. Some of your friends will graduate early, move away and start jobs while you’re still figuring out your next semester. Suddenly, people who were part of your everyday life aren’t around anymore.

You might have imagined spending senior year together, only to find yourself helping a friend choose a job and an apartment in another city. It’s hard watching people move forward when you feel left behind. You’re happy for them, of course, but you can’t help wondering, “Wait, nobody told me!”

5. Saying No to Opportunities You’re Used to Saying Yes To

In college, I usually found a way to make things work. A professional program changes that. Some opportunities require approval, while others simply don’t fit your schedule.

I’ve attended the FOCUS SEEK conference since freshman year, but I can’t go this year because classes start January 4. I’ve also spent the last two spring breaks on mission trips to Belcourt, North Dakota through Bison Catholic, but our spring break dates don’t line up this time.

Missing something that has been part of your life for years hurts, especially when it might be your last chance to experience it with your graduating class. I’m learning that being intentional sometimes means choosing one commitment over another. Growing up means making difficult choices, even when both options matter.

6. Being the Oldest Person in the Room

“You’re a senior? That’s crazy! You’re almost done!”

I hear this all the time. My response? “I’m still figuring it out, just like you.”

7. Starting Over When You Thought You Were Almost Done

You spend years building a life at NDSU, finding your people and learning where you fit. Then a professional program brings new classmates, schedules, expectations and routines. Suddenly, you’re starting over while trying not to lose the community you’ve already built.

Starting fresh is exciting, but being a beginner again can feel vulnerable. You might not find your people immediately, and building relationships takes time. Sometimes, the next chapter begins with being willing to figure things out all over again.

8. Learning to Let Go Without Losing Yourself

I expected senior year to feel like an ending I could prepare for. Instead, I’ve learned that you can be ready for your future and still be deeply attached to your past.

You can be excited about getting accepted into your dream program while missing the organizations, jobs, friendships and late nights that shaped you. NDSU has given me more than an education: people to love, communities to belong to and versions of myself I never would have discovered otherwise.

For now, I’m reminding myself that I’m still here. I still have time to show up, tell people what they mean to me and appreciate the communities that made this place home. I don’t have to say goodbye before I’ve even left.

Maybe the hardest part about being a senior isn’t that college is ending; it’s realizing that the life you spent years building is one you’d do almost anything to hold on to a little longer.

Maybe growing up is learning to carry the people, places and experiences that shaped you into your next chapter, even when you can’t bring them along in quite the same way.