Dear Seniors

Hi Seniors!

Happy Senior Spring and happy graduation! Holy cow, we’re in the last three weeks of your whole college experience! Let us know on the Instagram how you’re feeling @uvmthriveguide. But real talk, graduation can be scary. You’ve spent three or four years building a life here, what comes next?

But before we deal with all that scary “adult stuff” (AKA the questions your grandparents will not stop asking you about your future) let’s take a second and reminisce. How did you connect to UVM and the greater Burlington community during your time here? Was it through playing a sport for the school such as our podcaster Emma does on the basketball team, or trying a totally new club sport like our Brand Manager Moses did when he joined ultimate frisbee? Maybe you worked on campus helping other students, just like our Graphic Designer Amanda at the FOUR center, or you found a rad group of friends like Team Leader Georgia when she became a member of UVM’s extensive skating community. However you connected, take a second and drink in those years of good memories.

Moving on from the communities at UVM, while bittersweet, does not have to be as scary as people think. When you were thinking back on your communities, did you remember how you joined them? I know that when I joined the Crew team my freshman year I just wandered up to the table with the giant oar and started talking to people. Think about when you met friends on your floor—you just started talking to them and hanging out, and those became solid friendships. The same methods can be applied when connecting with your new communities. Everyone, at all stages of life, are always looking for connection to other people. This does not just apply to freshman in college. So go say hi to your new neighbor, wave at the person walking their dog, take that invitation from your new coworkers for drinks after work. Maybe that strange woman with the cat in the apartment across the hall will be in your wedding one day. You never know unless you reach out!

And remember, graduation does not have to be “goodbye”, merely, “see you later”. These connections in college can be lifelong, and you can part ways with the promise of “I’ll see you later. We may not know when, we may not know where, but I’ll see you later”.

-Caroline