Who’s that creepy old kid? Oh just the senior…

It has recently come to my attention that with every trip to the advising office and most likely being put on a “most wanted” list of DO NOT LET HER BACK IN HERE in the realm of the AU Advising World, I am not alone in this phenomena of seniors-putting-things-off-to-the-last-minute-itus.

Yes, that horrid, godforsaken tendency we have to let our problems just dwell in the dark, sleepy corners of our mind until second semester rolls around and ding ding ding! Remember that OTHER part of science you had to take? You mean…college writing is actually mandated in order to get out of college? It’s those classes we laughed off freshman, sophmore…junior year with a HA I’ll never need that! By the time I’M a Senior…they probably won’t even offer it anymore! Yeah—sorry—Gen Eds are probably the only institution AU hasn’t tampered with since its holy act of congress in the 1800′s.

So what to do when you are that only Senior in a class full of freshman in a seminar class? Looking around for the right seat which sets you into sudden flashbacks of middle school (PICK THE COOL KIDS..NO WAIT THEY HATE YOU DON’T SIT WITH THEM…SIT WITH A SMART KID THEN BEFRIEND THEM…YOU NEED TO PASS THIS CLASS, YOU NEED TO GRADUATE THESE KIDS DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT…WAIT DOES THAT GIRL HAVE A NEW MICHAEL KORS BAG…DEFINITELY SITTING WITH HER)

Being the only Senior in a big old pond of eager, go-getting freshman can at times be as intimidating as the first day you came to AU. Yeah you are the oldest kid on the block..but these kids are most likely smarter than you, full of fresh minds waiting to tell their mom and dad all about the wonders of their cool professor who wore a t-shirt to class (A T-SHIRT MOM..NOT A SUIT!) and told them all about his summer trip to Malaysia (ZZZ get over yourself…have you heard of AU Abroad?). But in order to truly succeed, you need to give in a little and get down on their level. Remember what it was like to be new and actually be kind to a freshman..they might be your only way to pass!

Another helpful tip on the road to life as the older, wiser one in class is to actually at some point tell the professor you are such…Makes conversation topics of “It only gets harder from here!” or “Wait till Senior year, you’ll wish you had me then!” a little less awkward for you. Confronting the professor and letting them know… uh, hey, guess that makes two of us for the blue plate special, allows them to find a common bond with you and at times, can provide much leeway when it comes to missing a class for work, internships or other senior-esque responsibilities your younger counterparts have yet to experience.

But perhaps the most important thing to remember besides not letting both your Science Gen-eds pile up until both Senior semesters (currently experiencing such a phenomenon..let’s consider this a personal experiment on behalf of my graduating class), don’t feel ashamed that you are the oldest in the room, embrace your seniority! Loud and proud, on that first introduction day of class, exclaim MY NAME IS BLANK..AND I AM A SENIOR! Well, perhaps a little more subtle, you may scare off the younger ones.