That question hits particularly hard for transfer students who were not here for the traditional four years. The same may resonate with students who were undecided, changed majors or programs and only recently figured out what they were doing.

No matter how accomplished we feel, it is hard not to wonder what we missed out on and what we arrived late to. Calling a place home for four years and then leaving is one thing, but for those of us who transferred or were undecided, it can feel like we just found our place and it is already time to say goodbye.

I speak for many when I say I felt incredibly lost here at first. It is hard not to on an eight-mile-long campus with 50,000 students who already seem to have established majors, clubs, jobs and friend groups.

After a comically bad high school experience, I had little hope for college or for the future.

Following graduation, I was not only unemployed but also not enrolled in college. My dad had to apply to several local colleges for me and basically told me, “These are the schools you got into. Pick one, try to get on the soccer team and get a degree in journalism.” None of it seemed particularly enticing, but I did not have any better ideas, so I chose one. When it came to picking a major, I simply did not, and I was placed into a random assortment of classes: algebra, religious studies, medieval history and silent film.

By the first day, I thought I had decided my fate. I called my best friend from the hallway floor and, through tears and devastation, told her, “I’m not graduating from this school.” That was after one class, the medieval history one to be exact.

I applied to Michigan State that spring. All that was left was getting accepted and enrolling in classes. For those who have not done it, the transfer process is one I would not wish on my worst enemy. Getting into classes and finding an affordable place to live was unbelievably frustrating; finals week and even the worse week before finals do not compare.

I called one apartment so many times that they began hanging up when they heard my voice. I eventually found an open spot at Chandler Crossing, where I lived with some memorable roommates, including one extremely loud Twitch streamer who gamed into all hours of the night and another who stole my mattress topper.

I started out as a psychology major, then seriously considered business before deciding against both. I tried various clubs, applied for countless jobs, met tons of people and desperately tried to figure things out, but nothing seemed to fit. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by hardworking, driven friends who became an incredible influence on me and helped shape me into the student and person I am today.

However, I still could not help but feel directionless.

We are all trying our best to build a résumé, gain professional experience and land a good career. But what happens when you do not know what you want that career to be? What if you cannot picture yourself in any job for the next several decades? There is a stigma surrounding undecided students, as if it is absurd not to have these life-defining decisions made at 18 years old.

Fellow transfer students can likely recall advisors insisting they take it easy on credits and add an extra year or two. I was not a fan of those suggestions either. I made a list of every major MSU had to offer and crossed them out one by one.

I decided on communication leadership and strategy because the career prospects seemed the least intimidating, from PR specialist to, perhaps optimistically, CEO. I declared my major in spring 2025, two and a half years in. Luckily, I had finished enough university-required courses, took six classes each semester and completed enough credits to graduate this Friday. Around the same time, I began my copy editing job at The State News and found several other spaces on campus that finally felt right.

In a perfect world, there would be one definitive solution to indecisiveness.

The only real fix is to immerse yourself in absolutely everything. It is time-consuming and stressful, but it is also worth it. Apply to everything, join every club, take different classes, talk to new people and attend all sorts of events. I promise that something will click, and the moment of clarity that follows will make up for every second of uncertainty.

Putting yourself out there comes with a lot of rejection and failed attempts, and while they may feel life-ending in the moment, one of the most powerful skills is learning to take rejection and redirect your time and effort toward something better. Figuring out what is not meant for you can often be one of the clearest ways to discover what is.

I will shamelessly admit that even with graduation only a few days away, I am still not sure what comes next. The reality is that almost nobody does. The fact that our futures are waiting on the other side of the stage is terrifying. And unlike our last graduations, we do not have another four-year period filled with fun, friends and lighter responsibilities waiting for us.

There are so many new things around the corner, and the decisions ahead only seem more daunting. Even so, it is nothing we have not faced before.

The years we have spent in college, whether at MSU or elsewhere, have prepared us for whatever the future may bring. We have grown beyond our confused teenage selves and become college-educated adults, and somewhere along the way, even if it does not always feel like it, we did figure it out.

As you move your tassel from right to left this weekend, remember that you are not late, you are not behind and you did not miss out. What you did do was live the college experience that shaped you into the person and alum you have become today.