25 Signs It’s Time to Graduate

By Azra

When the make-up of faces on campus has changed:

• The familiar faces of high school classmates have disappeared from campus.
• When you do run into old high school classmates, it’s because they are employees of the university.
• Former classmates are your TA or supervising your exams.

When your study habits have changed:

• You do your textbook readings in advance…you already know what happens when you don’t.
• Midterms don’t phase you anymore because you have written so many.
• The library is strictly for studying, not socializing.
• No study spots are secret to you, you have studied everywhere.
• You have finally figured out how to successfully manage university. It almost feels too easy…
• There are no more easy GPA booster options to choose from because you have taken all of them.

You used to do these things, but you know better now:

• You giggle when you see people taking notes during syllabus day.
• You let the students in the class before yours fully leave the lecture room before you enter.
• Pre-med and pre-law are terms you don’t hear anymore. We’re all pre-retirement.
• You are over the debate about which degree is the most useful. All you want is a degree.

When you think you know all campus secrets:

• You avoid that 10-minute break to get somewhere if you can.
• You decide to walk on the left-hand side of HUB just to see what will happen.
• Campus used to be scary, huge, and unfamiliar. Now you know routes to each building that allow for the least amount of time braving the cold.
• The LRT has broken down so many times, you would rather just walk.
• You feel like you shouldn’t go for free food/coffee, but you still do.
• You have a favourite washroom.

You can’t pass as a first year even if you wanted to.

• With each passing year, the conversations happening in SUB between first years become more and more unrelatable to your life.
• You feel a sense of superiority, but also kinship, to the “optimistic and naïve” first years.
• You snicker at the young couples showing PDA ’cause you’re jaded, but also secretly jealous.
• Fast food used to be your go-to campus eat, but you are no longer 18 and avoid fast food like the plague.
• Hangovers are multi-day events.

Finally: You are feeling an itch for the next chapter! (Good thing graduation is around the corner!)

Is graduation in your near future? Check out:

• “Facing the Certainty and Uncertainty of Graduation”
• “Preparing to Graduate — Next Steps and Job Tips”
• “Graduation Bucket List”