It creeps up on you, like a thief in the night. It robs you of your youth. Those days you wasted sitting on the couch watching TV mindlessly — gone. The future is terrifying, and I think most people are afraid to admit that. Especially now that it’s time to graduate and move on. I can’t help but feel like we’re skipping a beat, like there isn’t any real preparation for what’s next. And that’s practically a separate thing to worry about: what is next?

“It’s pretty scary,” WCU graduate, Tori Malone, said, “But it’s because you don’t know. It’s really not scary at all. It’s a lot of weird learning. How to be on your own. How to be an adult. How to adapt to life without curfew.”

And it’s true. The lack of knowledge of the unknown is daunting. How do we explore where we haven’t gone before? How do we leave behind the world we already know?

“Nothing in your past will seem like it mattered a whole lot by comparison,” UNT graduate, Matthew Cardenas, said, “And then you will graduate college and feel the same way about working life. Then you’ll see the pattern of changes in life. It seems like a big deal, but the world keeps getting larger and larger.”

I think the only way to truly reassure yourself is to jump in with both feet forward. Experience it. And expect the unexpected. You may not, and that’s okay. It’s okay to have fun, or break down immediately and call your mom, or just relax and come up for some air. But remember your studies, remember what’s important and remember that nothing will be the same.