Photo by Tayhlor Stephenson / Lifestyles Editor
It’s official — classes are here. This time around, that statement isn’t quite the death sentence it used to be.
Before this semester, I dreaded the first day back, like there was literally nothing worse than being forced to sit behind a raggedy desk older than most millennials with a bunch of random people thrown into a classroom. But earning that senior status has totally changed things, as if the promotion in my classification completely transformed my every thought regarding school.
The start of the year brings the football season, pep rallies, homecoming, and more things to be excited about. Then as we settle in, we will realize that this is the final year. After this, we’re going to be heading out into the world to pursue what we really care about – how exciting! Then, at the end of the exam season, we will finally be able to relax, get senior photography San Antonio, and look forward to prom! It’s going to be brilliant!
So, read and relate to my sequence of events as I admit to the tell-all confessions of an MTSU senior below.
Takes a last-minute chance to grab a notebook from last semester, simultaneously rushing out the door
Regardless if it was my freshman, sophomore or junior year, I made sure to go to bed with a packed backpack full of binders, notebooks, planners, pencils, pens and every other school supply I might possibly need for the first day and the ones to follow. This year, I barely managed to remember a backpack, much less the supplies to fill it. It wasn’t until my eyes coincidentally graced last year’s notebook tucked behind clutter on my desk that I thought to grab it, and yes, it was as I was headed out.
Can’t remember which class it is I’m even sitting in
I’ve never had this problem, but apparently it’s completely possible to be oblivious to which class you’re sitting in as you’re sitting in it. If it weren’t for the professor’s ever-so-kind course mention before opening the class discussion, I may have managed to look like the biggest fool on campus. I guess it’s just one of those senior things, because let’s be honest, we’ve all got so much on our plates and minds.
Skips the whole nervous, knots-in-stomach phase
I don’t think I’m alone when I say I used to get nervous, and I mean really nervous, the night before school started back. I’m talking the can’t-even-eat-dinner-because-you’re-so-nervous kind of deal. Thank God I skipped that awkward, cry-for-help phase this year.
More excitement than dread for the first day
The first day brings many emotions — some pleasant and some not so pleasant. Freshmen are forced to face their insecurities and fears, leaving them hopeless. Though a bit more lax, sophomores still deal with the whole have-to-be-cool mentality, which is totally draining. Juniors have it rough because they have to make sure they’re on the right track to graduation, causing headaches a-plenty. And then there are seniors, who rightfully have it best when dealing with first-day emotions, because for the first time, they’re excited emotions rather than angry ones. The future is here, people; let us rejoice!
Seeing nervous freshmen instantly leads down memory lane
So we have it good now, but times haven’t always been so simple. Let us not forget we once were the same squarely, overconfident yet nervous freshmen that roamed the campus. Have some sympathy for these people, because they are young versions of ourselves. Help a kid out, y’all.
Nothing’s more important than getting an Insta-worthy first-day photo
It’s only your first day of senior year once, right? So yes, I’m going to document this miniature milestone the best way I know how: pose for an Instagram-worthy picture so I can share my status with the online world. And what better place to snap that picture than MTSU’s very own Blue Horseshoe?
Gets annoyed at the parking situation
It seems as though more students pile into the campus’ parking lots as each year arrives, leaving no parking spots. The quest to find one is annoying to say the least. And I kind of feel like I deserve my own designated spot by now considering the countless hours and dollars I’ve devoted to MTSU over the years. The only upside to this madness is it won’t last all that long, because before we know it, the crowd will thin as students grow comfortable skipping.
Feels like a grown-up for the first time
I’ll always be a lover of books with pictures, animated movies and all things Disney, but not even that can stop me from finally feeling like a legitimate adult. Don’t ask me why it took becoming a senior to reach that point. It just did, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come, whether it be in school or after graduation.
Knows all other seniors are sharing similar thoughts
I know I’m not alone in all of this. So let’s just take a minute to appreciate our hard-earned senior status, because it only comes around once. Happy senior year!
Follow Tayhlor Stephenson on Twitter at @tayhlor_s.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Tayhlor Stephenson, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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