Until recently, “The Real World” was the MTV show Iwatched religiously on Tuesday nights. But with graduation loomingahead, I’ve started to look at it in a much different light:The real world isn’t something you see on reality television.It’s that thing you’ve heard stories about since youwere a kid.

Parents have threatened its arrival: “Someday whenyou’re in the real world, you won’t be able to blahblah blah.” When you couldn’t wait to drive a car, goaway to college or never do homework again, “Don’t wishyour life away,” was the blanket advice you received.

Now I’m 21 years old, graduating in May and looking for ajob. I’m about to enter the real world, except that until nowit’s been a sort of urban legend. While I’m definitelyready for school to be over, the unexpected lies ahead, andstarting over as a freshman again sounds kind of appealing.

But what exactly is this real world? No more health insuranceand no more help with my taxes. No more summer vacations and nomore complaining about another semester. No more college partieswithout feeling like I’m a dinosaur. No more skipping classto sleep in or catch up on “Days of Our Lives.” No morehelp with the rent or using the “poor college student”cop-out. No more chickens and no more hanging out in the Pub.

While some students are as clueless as I am, the majority seemsto have it figured out. A lot of my friends are planning ongraduate or law school, and those who intend to enter the workingforce right away already know where they will end up or what theywant to do. Still, I wonder how anyone at age 21 can really knowwhat course they will take.

I look at myself in the mirror and contemplate a seriousquestion: Why did I want to get out of good ol’ SacramentoState in four years? Am I crazy? What was once a big scary campushas now been my home for the past few years of my life, and thereis a certain level of comfort and predictability here.

At the beginning of every semester, booths take over the quad toentice the passerby into joining a club sport or sorority. TheCauseway Classic is the only football game anyone really caresabout. Parking eases up mid-semester when everyone quits going toschool, and no matter what happens over summer or winter break, youcan count on everything to begin once again.

Picking one direction to go in is a huge decision. The decisionswe make in the next couple of months will affect the rest of ourlives, but to what extent? Even those who have it all planned outmight change their course. Maybe change is a natural way of testingourselves. And if we did get too secure with our surroundings,would it not lower our expectations of life?

So as I approach my last months as a student, I’m nervous.But looking at all the possibilities and having a clean slate aheadof me is worth it. Appreciate where you came from and how you gotto where you are, but feel thankful that the future brings with itendless opportunities in the real world. Looking forward to a lifewithout homework, a career and independence isn’t so badafter all.