Perhaps the hardest part about graduating from an academic institution, which has become more like a second home to us over the past several years, does not have to do with the academic or extra-curricular aspect of college. Maybe the biggest challenges are in saying goodbye to friends and the good times that were had together. The difficulty lies in leaving a comfort zone, despite the number of complaints that were voiced about it. Some students' biggest fears are leaving Norwich University and making their families proud.

Imagine, if you will, that you are once again five years old and an adult asks you what you want to be when you grow up. Back then, the answer you gave did not matter much, because it seemed like you had all the time in the world to figure it out.

For graduating seniors, however, the time to answer that question has almost run out. With approximately 46 days left until May 6, some of us are more prepared than others. One would be inclined to think that after approximately four years of hard work, that a person would be ready to start the rest of their life.

It is obvious that some of us are not as prepared as others for the big day. Many questions in retrospect have to do with our prior performance. How difficult is it to put in some effort and do well in a class? What is the big problem with getting to know your professors and getting involved in school? Why does deciding what career field to enter have to be so confusing?

For the most part, these are not impossible tasks. They are just necessary steps in preparing us for graduation. Why do some see it as such a huge challenge to walk up the stairs of Harmon Hall (a building that most students are in every day) and talk to the people in the Career Development Center?

Nothing can accurately prepare us for the real world except experiencing it first hand. Going through that experience can be scary. Leaving a comfortable part of your life behind is not easy, either. But there are people here to help us. They are just two journeys that have to be embarked upon, and one can only hope that they packed enough for the trip.

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