As I approach the beginning of the final full month of my undergraduate career, a number of feelings and thoughts cross my mind. Initially, I feel accomplished and somewhat proud that I was able to successfully endure a journey that managed to knock a number of my close friends off the very same track. Yet the more that I look back on these last eight semesters, I can’t help but feel some degree of regret regarding the way in which I navigated the college experience. However, this regret does not hold me back in any sense and I feel that everything in my life up until this point has prepared me the best that it could for the future that lies ahead of me.

Despite the sense of fulfillment graduating has granted me, it is only partially grounded. The truth of the matter is that although I am hopeful and excited to embark on a life after college, I’m reasonably anxious as to what exactly my future will hold. For starters, I have decided to take a year off before pursuing a graduate degree. Although this was a decision I made over a year ago, it was not an ill-fated one, as I would rather be sure of the program that I wish to enter rather than rushing into whatever one I gained acceptance into. While I worry that my hesitance may have prevented me from receiving any opportunities right away, I feel that I made the right decision in that I have allowed myself more time to hone in on a more focused area of study. Additionally, time off from school can allow me to obtain experience in the field and be able to dedicate myself to a full-time internship or work.

In these times especially, graduate school, internships and professionally oriented jobs all require a number of skillfully written pieces in their application process that will be carefully reviewed upon submission. From cover letters to personal statements, there is an expansive range of expectations held for college students seeking to enter the professional world. Working on a professional autobiography that seeks to focus students’ ambitions and the way they write within the scope of their intended profession has allowed me to view my prospective career path in a consistently evolving light. Even more importantly, the assignment has allowed me to focus on the ways in which I wish to present my own writing in a professional manner, while also maintaining my own style and flavor as a writer.

One of the key aspects of applying to graduate school is the submission of a personal statement. Despite having taken the Personal Essay as a course, for the longest time I felt that I would have nothing of substance to include in one. However, after somewhat viewing my college career in hindsight, I feel that I could assemble a quality personal statement that does not necessarily fit the cookie cutter mold of detailing volunteer work and personal achievements. An interesting take on the personal statement would be to detail your own personal experience in a humanizing light, while providing context as to how or why this set you on any intended career track. Although this is not easy to do, it is perhaps a more viable option for people who may or may not have done a whole lot of extracurricular activities throughout college.

Although it was a long process and the results may not have been as clearly visible at first, four years of college not only changed me as a student and a person, but more specifically as a writer. God forbid I did not go college, let alone a university with an excellent writing department, I could not imagine the level of false confidence I would have in my writing abilities. The emphasis placed on growing as a writer throughout college is a multidisciplinary concept and is applicable to any field of interest. Even those interested in non-humanities based studies are required to write, often extensively at that, and it is highly significant that writing be viewed as a craft with immense impact and purpose. Without developing proper writing skills, one could easily fall ill prepared for a particular job opportunity, especially if these flaws are transparent enough to show through in something such as a cover letter.

Overall, life beyond undergraduate studies is highly demanding and can often be of intense academic rigor. One of the most important skills developed to soothe the transition into professional life is writing. The ability to flex proper writing skills when necessary can make or break your appearance as an academic, as well as a professional, and is way too often undervalued as a device to advance both your personal and professional self.