Four years ago when I came to UNA as freshman, I remember constantly wondering why the seniors looked twitchy. Why when you asked them if they were excited about graduation, their eyes got as round as saucers and they croaked a noncommittal answer in response, then cleared their throats and looked you dead in the eye with an affirmative, “yes.”

I am that senior now, and I understand how seniors can manage to look haggard, fidgety and determined at the same time.

Four years went by in the blink of an eye, and college graduation doesn’t seem nearly as exciting as high school graduation.

Sure, there’s the thrill of purchasing the cap and gown and looking forward to the next chapter of your life, but this next chapter of my life puts a whole new spin on the word “independent.”

It involves mountains of bills, uncertainty and consequences, and frankly, I would much rather sit in the habitat with Leo and Una to talk it out than face it head on.

That’s not really a feasible option, though, and digging my heels into the ground won’t allow me to excel.

I’m twitchy because while all my college classes have had set instructions for each assignment, there isn’t a guidebook laying around for “Job Hunting 101.”

As a result, I have spent more time researching and applying for jobs than I have on any homework assignment this semester — because it feels like that’s the only assignment that really matters. I have refined my Wix online portfolio more times than I can count, and there are some days when I spend more time on LinkedIn than Facebook.

I am restless because there doesn’t seem to be a set answer from anyone. I have had professors tell me I should be going straight to graduate school while others have told me to take a year and figure it out. I have even had one administrator look me in the eye and tell me I may just need to settle on waitressing.

When I look at other seniors on campus who have the same frantic look in their eyes, I can’t blame them. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and we’re running head first into the thick of it.

Searching for a job, balancing one or two current jobs, and acing classes is not easy — it’s downright stressful. But through every Starbucks therapy run and every late night job hunt session, I have come to realize more and more how critical it is that I found a major, and a profession, I really do enjoy.

The only thing I can do is keep trying and pushing forward. I will apply to as many companies as it takes to be successful, and I’ll also take some time to relish in my last few weeks as a University of North Alabama college student.

There’s an employer out there who will appreciate the hard work and effort I’ve put into my college career, and, five years from now I feel confident I’ll look back on this stressful, whirlwind of a semester with a smile.