Excitement is rising for many seniors as the 2024 academic year comes to an end.

While some are experiencing feelings of fear or stress, others know exactly where they’re headed following the milestone.   

Daisha Mitchell, a senior studying health administration, hopes to go into graduate school in the human services program at EIU. 

“I am also planning on moving into my own apartment just so I have growth outside of Eastern Illinois University’s housing,” Mitchell said.  

Along with those goals, she shared her expectations for her post-graduation life and how she has been figuring it out mentally.  

“I’ve been telling myself that I deserve to graduate and that I’ll be okay after leaving school,” Mitchell said. 

Mitchell said her biggest worry after graduation is what is to come afterwards. 

“We’ve been in school all our lives, so we’ve never really not had to go back to school,” Mitchell said.   

Mitchell has been enrolled in school for 18 years, starting in pre-school, and plans to keep going for two-three more years after graduation.   

Dayo Fatuga, a senior majoring in exercise science, is hopeful about what life will bring her after graduation.  

“I do want to pursue my doctorate in physical therapy; however, I feel like I do want a gap year,” Fatuga said.  

Fatuga plans to use the gap year to find internships, but she also wants to take the time to enjoy life, travel and “discover new sides of myself that I didn’t necessarily tap into in college.”   

She shared some ways that she has been mentally preparing herself for what is to come next. 

“I feel like lately I’ve been like, ‘Okay well this is different, this is going to be something I’ve never done before,’” Fatuga said. “It’s basically completely new. I am expecting the unexpected.” 

She said she was worried about having a huge change in schedule after leaving school.   

“In school, you had next semester to look forward to. Your schedule is kind of planned out for you,” she said 

She said that despite having friends and family to help, she still feels on her own and does not know what to expect.   

“I don’t know if I’ll take a class on my own, I don’t know if I’ll get a job right away, I don’t know if I’ll keep in contact with all my friends, but it’s something new, and I am excited to see what’s new, but it’s also kind of nerve wracking,” Fatuga said.  

Kimberly Carroll can be reached at 581-2812 or at kacarroll@eiu.edu.