I don't want to graduate

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The fact that it's now 2013 is making it really hit home that I'm in the class of 2013. And that I really don't want to be in the class of 2013. There just hasn't been enough time in these four years of college for me to experience everything I've wanted to experience, and I'm getting real sad that in just four months, I'm going to be out. It's odd though, I don't ever remember feeling like this when I graduated high school... so it can't just be the fact that things are going to change. This little hick-ass town in Vermont feels more like home for me than my parents' house in NY ever has...

I just kind of feel like the best part of my life is going to end... as an atmospheric science major, I see a lot of people in my department that I suspect are on the spectrum, and a lot of these people go on to do, well, not a whole hell of a lot other than sit around on Facebook in their parents' basements all day. I don't want that. I won't have that. I'll actually go be a hobo somewhere before I do that. Even if I do get a good job, I feel like no experience can compare to being in college.

Apart from that, I'm just going to miss the lifestyle. Everyone is somewhat equal in college compared to the real world. Everyone is just absolutely piss broke, and nobody cares, and it's wonderful. When you're in college, people are only interested in who you are as a person and what kind of ridiculous adventures and crazy s**t you can get into, rather than how much money you have or how successful you are. I like to think I've gotten pretty good at the ridiculous adventures and crazy s**t... not sure how I'm gonna do with the money and success...

I don't know... I'm just rambling at this point. It helps though, really. I think. I don't know. Maybe I'm just wasting time that I could be using to start applying to the real world...

Just remember, there is always grad school. If you really love life in college so much, with all the hustle and bustle of academic work, you may wish to pursue a PhD.

I've considered it. Still am, to some degree, but not sure if I've got the grades... I only have a 3.2 GPA. Either way, I still think of grad school as part of the real world. The real world is inevitable. I just need to figure out how to enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying the college life.

Go to grad school and then teach at a college. That way you have the best of both worlds, somewhat.

Yep; I went to college in the same hick-ass town in Ohio. It was great.


Hey, I hope you're not thinking about leaving ridiculous adventures behind. Don't leave hick-ass town without it.
About the money and success: Push at success and tolerate the lack of money. I graduated into a tiny field concentrated in NYC. My actual 1st job was in CT (an anomaly). It took about four years of long hours and hard work before I achieved a decent salary, but those years are when I developed my chops. They were well worth the sacrifice (wait, what did I sacrifice?)

My oldest daughter graduated with a degree in Comparative Literature (English-Spanish-Italian) from a school in a hick-ass town in FL. She already knew she wanted to live in Charleston SC. She came home to CT her 1st summer and worked as a sailing instructor (same as she'd done for the previous four summers). She busted tail applying to marketing/PR jobs in all her spare time. She failed to score even one interview and was told that she'd need office experience before being considered.

At the end of Aug she packed up and moved to Charleston. There she did a short stint as an office receptionist before falling back on her sailing experience. She got a job running a sailing center (where HS sailing teams practice in fall/winter and kids learn to sail in summer). She also coached a HS sailing team and did some tutoring in Spanish and business document translations. All that generated subsistence money.

But, she was entrusted with marketing the sailing center, also. Long story, shorter; it took her five years of scrambling around in sailing - boat brokering - marketing - sailing, again, but in NY/NJ on the Hudson River, no less - marketing/PR in CT (ugh) - then back to Charleston, receptionist at a boat locker(!) BEFORE getting a nice marketing/PR position at an engineering firm, where, two years later she is head of marketing/PR and has an almost comfortable salary. And she is living where she loves and sails. She burned no bridges in the whole process and has an amazing social/career network after her nine(!) year sojourn.

Pab, leaving school is heartbreaking, no lie. But I'm guessing you're up for it.