However, as students approach this transition time, they are often leaving behind friends and the familiarity of campus life. It is not surprising then that as students graduate, they often experience intense grief and loss. As graduation day approaches, students are faced with an array of decisions. It is not uncommon for students to not only question their future path, but also to ponder on the past years spent in the university. In thinking over one's past and planning for the future, feelings of discouragement and even despair may surface.
Graduation marks the ending of a structured period in one's life.
It is not surprising then that as students leave behind this structured time period, they feel fearful when faced with an ambiguous and uncertain future. In sum, graduation can be a stressful period in one's life. In addition, people in the graduate's life often convey the expectation that the graduate should feel excited and joyful. The graduate often does not receive the message that a whole spectrum of feelings may surface prior to, on, and after graduation. Second, express your feelings to someone else.