If you’re someone that gets around campus with a moped or car, stop reading this.

As students of Madison, we all have to walk up Bascom at least once a day, if not more. For some, it’s just another part of their day, but for the majority, it’s the most dreaded part. Nothing is worse than being at the bottom of Bascom Hill and looking up to Abe, smirking at with doubt at the top.

When we are planning our schedules, we aren’t thinking about the paths and streets we’ll have to take to get to each class; but after making the journey up Bascom, we wish we had put more thought into mapping out our daily walks. The day was going great until you realized the next three minutes of your life would be spent at a seemingly never-ending, seventy-degree incline.

As you walk toward Bascom, your mind races through hundreds of emotions, most popular being fear and self-doubt. Honestly, I don’t think anyone would be surprised if they saw someone shed a tear or two on their way up this dreaded hill. Here are a few thoughts that race through our minds as we trek up Bascom.

1. Bascom is beautiful.
2. I should take a Snapchat of this and put it in my Snapstory.
3. This isn’t so bad.
4. Should I look down at my feet or keep my head up to wave to people?
5. How long do I wait to wave to the person I see at the top?
6. My legs are going to look so good by the end of this year.
7. I hope no one passes me up because I’m going so slowly.
8. Who is this psycho doing hill sprints at 9am?
9. I should’ve worn shorts under this dress.
10. I’m turning around; I don’t need this kind of stress in my life.
11. What kind of sick person decided this hill was a good idea?
12. I hope no one can hear how hard I’m panting.
13. *Takes casual puff of inhaler*
14. This counts as my workout for the day.
15. I hope no one sees my back sweat.
16. Maybe I’ll just take a break half way up and sit down.
17. Next time I’m taking University.
18. This is what death feels like.
19. Why did I think this was a good idea?
20. I should’ve just called an Uber.

Whether you’re a freshman or senior, or you’re at the peak of fitness or not, Bascom catches us all by surprise. For anyone looking for an alternative route up Bascom, I recommend the staircase behind the Education Building next to Helen C. White. Unfortunately, stairs are just as bad as hills. Nevertheless, walking up Bascom Hill every day is what makes us Badgers, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.