As current seniors finish their finals, prepare for graduation, celebrate with friends, and pack their belongings, the baton is passed to juniors to prepare for their last year of undergraduate college. This isn’t meant to scare juniors away, but to prepare them for what’s to come and make the most of our last year.

Yet how do we know how to make our last year go picture-perfect, mood board-worthy, and balance preparing for a job, life, and friends beyond college? It’s easy to get wrapped up in worrying about what’s next, but with the help of others willing to share their secrets, we can make the most out of the last year.

IF I COULD REDO MY SENIOR YEAR…

After having been out in the ‘real world’ with a job or jobs, paying bills, and thinking about or already having started a family, there’s bound to be some reflection. 

We can reminisce about ‘old times’ or things we forgot happened in our youth, like a time when you went out of your way to try something new. Or when you look back at photos in your camera roll, you happen to find one random night while cleaning your device’s storage. Anyway, when we look back on memory lane, some may want to revisit those exact moments, and others might wish they had done things differently.

So, this time, let’s ask graduates what they would redo from their senior year.

Wendy Soto, now a preschool teacher and a name familiar to the theatre department, was involved with TRIO and Latinos Unidos and enjoyed a Mayterm trip to Japan while at Simpson College. Soto says her senior year was the most challenging as she acted, directed, and set designed for an opera. So, how differently would she reimagine her senior year? 

“I wish I could’ve taken my senior year slower and have said no to some things.” 

Soto brings up a good point. In college, there are so many people doing a lot on campus to get ahead and stay involved, but setting boundaries isn’t discussed enough. We constantly want to build work experience, help others, and live up to expectations, yet it’s hard to say no. Even when it hurts or makes us feel guilty to decline something to make time for ourselves, remember that time spent on you is essential, too.

Jack Thomas, a dental student at the University of Iowa, was a member of Alpha Tau Omega (ATO), a former community advisor, a tutor, and a teaching assistant (TA) for organic chemistry and general chemistry at Simpson. Thomas wants students to enjoy their last year and continue reaching for their goals. 

“If I could redo my senior year at Simpson, I would spend more time with my close friends and enjoy the free meals at Pfeiff. I also don’t think I would have been a CA my senior year,” Thomas said. “It would be nice to be able to enjoy your senior year, not having to worry about your building.” 

A pattern is emerging in these answers. Pulling away from things we’ve attached ourselves to could benefit us more, and with Pfeiffer’s new renovation on the way, the trend for next year might be eating at Pfeiffer’s more with friends. 

Nicolas Mattly delves deeper into the job-search aspect of college. Mattly was a member of ATO, Collegiate Entrepreneur Organization (CEO), and the football team while attending Simpson. Mattly said he would have liked to change the way he searched for jobs after college.

 “If I could redo my senior year, I think I would prepare earlier for a job search. Start between winter and spring break and practice interviews more,” Mattly said. 

According to InterviewFocus, the fall semester should be spent researching, the winter break should be spent getting prepared, and the spring semester, you can begin to apply for the positions you’re interested in. Even with a lot going on academically, breaking tasks into small steps can make the process feel less stressful. You’ve got this, and I know you can earn that nine to thrive in life.

Moving on, there’s still one person left. Let’s ask someone who was involved in sports at Simpson and can share deeper insight into what it means to live in the moment.

Brenden Godbout was a member of the track and field team, part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), worked as an intramural referee, served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and was their vice president in his senior year at Simpson. Godbout wishes he had enjoyed the small things a bit more in his senior year. 

“Simple moments — like being just a few blocks away from close friends on any given day or walking into Kent and instantly spotting five different people to talk to — were things I didn’t fully appreciate at the time,” Godbout said. “I was so focused on what the future held and stepping into ‘adult life’ that I forgot to slow down, take a deep breath, and truly live in the moment.” 

ADVICE TO RISING SENIORS

As mentioned at the beginning, juniors and students entering their last year are being passed the baton to prepare for the grand finale. With these last remarks, graduates have some advice to help you enjoy your senior year to the fullest.

“Try to use your senior year as a year of closure. See it as an opportunity to grow, mature, and set yourself up for success in the workforce,” Godbout said. 

After Godbout’s senior year, he stepped up to become an account executive in membership sales for the Iowa Wild. Godbout wants rising seniors to know that these are the best years of our lives, and we need to learn not to rush these moments so fast before they leave us in the blink of an eye.

Mattly wants to share that our first job might not be where we see ourselves for the rest of our careers, but that having these experiences sets us on the path to where we want to be.

“Those 6-figure jobs you dream about don’t happen without experience. Grind it out and show you’re worth it. Effort speaks volumes, trust me, you’ll get there,” Mattly said. 

Mattly’s first job was as a District Sales Manager for GC America, specializing in selling operatory products to dental professionals. Now Mattly is a Senior Sales Professional for Keenova Pharmaceuticals in the Orthopedic division.

Soto said your job won’t define you at the end of the day, and life is more about the community you choose to surround yourself with. 

“Find time to be in a community! Join a club, go to CAB events, volunteer, join study groups, learn how to build relationships and community,” Soto said. “It’ll help you once you’re out of college and not surrounded by your same peers every day.” 

Soto has continued doing theatre after college and has been in two musicals, one straight play, and three films.

Living up to today’s expectations, working towards a career while in college puts a lot of pressure on students to make sure things turn out right. In the midst of juggling multiple things at once, staying in the moment is crucial to ensuring we have a fun senior year. 

If we’re so focused on earning that job or taking on more than we can handle and ultimately finding dissatisfaction in ourselves, is that really a senior year we want to look back at? No, even when it feels like you’re not doing enough just by being in class, doing assignments, and gradually working towards finding a job, that’s good enough too. 

In the end, there isn’t a ‘correct way’ to make the best senior year possible, but your attitude and the actions you take play a significant role in how you would like to remember it.