This week is weird for me. All of my finals are over, and all my schoolwork has been submitted, but graduation isn’t until Saturday. And so I find myself in an odd place where I’m still at school, but I’m done with all my work, and I don’t really have anything to do. It feels funny because I’m constantly checking my to-do list thinking I should be working on something, but nothing’s there. I’m finished with school, but I’m not quite able to move on the next thing.

I’ve found myself in an in-between place. I’m somewhere between a student and a graduate, but I’m really neither. For this week, I’m in a transition phase. Really, I’ll be in a transition phase for the next few months. I’m going from the undergraduate phase of my life to the seminary phase of my life. These transition times can feel weird. Mine certainly does. But they can also be really good experiences. Here are a few things I’m trying to do during this transition time in my life.

1. Rest

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but life can be exhausting. Between getting everything done that I’m supposed to get done, spending time with the people I care about, and trying to find some recreation time in the midst of it all, rest and recuperation have fallen pretty low on my priorities list. But now, there are some open slots on that list, and I’m putting rest back up near the top. I’ve just come out of a very challenging and draining time in my life, and I’m about to enter another challenging and potentially draining time in my life. So right now, while I’m in between them, I’m trying to ensure that I take the time to recover from the previous phase so that I’m well-rested for the next one. And here’s to hoping I do a better job at staying well-rested in seminary than I did in college.

2. Catch Up

When I’ve got a lot going on, I have to put some things off. Eventually, those things build up until I have a list of things I’d like to do but haven’t quite gotten around to yet. It’s sort of like a mini-bucket list of things I haven’t been able to do this school year. This lull during my transition time is the perfect opportunity to catch up on all the things I’ve been putting off. Whether it be a movie I’ve been meaning to re-watch, some much-needed cleaning, or updating my wardrobe, I can use my transition time to do some things that aren’t necessarily of great importance but I’ve been wanting to do for some time.

3. Reflect

Transitions times are also good times to look back on one’s experiences and gain some insight from them. I’m about to finish college. That’s a lot of information and memories to process in a relatively short period of time. But now that it’s pretty much over, I can look back on everything I’ve done and learned, and I can hopefully pick out at least a few major things that I can take away from it. I’ve already starting thinking about a few, but I’m going to take this time off to do some serious reflection about what college has taught me and how I can use that in the future.

4. Prepare

And while I’m reflecting on the past, I also want to be preparing for the future. Seminary is going to be awesome, but there’s a lot that needs to be done in order to get ready for it. I’ve got the school part covered thanks to a scholarship from the Baptist General Convention of Texas, but I still have to find a place to live and work while I’m in Waco. And I still need to emotionally prepare for moving far away from my home and family. Seminary is going to be different, and it’s going to take some time to get ready for it. Now is the perfect time to do that, and that’s what I hope to do during this transition phase.

5. Cherish

Finally, I want to enjoy this transition time in my life. I’ve still got a few more days at the school where I’ve spent the last four years. I’ve still got a few more days to make memories with the friends I’ve made in college, who I will miss very much. I’ve still got time to enjoy this place and this time with these people for just a little bit longer. I’m so thankful for this transition time in my life, and I hope to make the most of it. Thank you guys for reading, and I’ll see you again next week.