This year is my final year at Biola and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m. Almost. Done. While I’m excited, I am also terrified. And I’m sure my fellow seniors can relate. I have started my own senior year bucket list. Although I know filing my graduation petition and finally submitting my portfolio for my writing competency requirement should be on there, they’re not. Instead, they are an assortment of random desires I’m afraid of missing out on. Hopefully, I’ll inspire you to make a list of your own.

1.Actually take a day off!

And by taking a day off I mean do nothing! I want to take one day a week and simply do nothing. And you should too! I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve had a real weekend. I want a day to simply rest and not do any homework. That includes prep work, getting ahead, or trying to keep up. Either way, my senior year is now required to have at least one day a week of real rest because let’s face it…we’re seniors.

2.Read a book you’re interested in.

I read a lot of good books over the summer and I realized I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading. College gives us many things, but also takes away many pleasures, one of them being reading. Though I read many text books during the semester, I never make time for the guilty pleasures I enjoy like the latest fiction or even series I’ve been reading since middle school. If there are books, comic/graphic novels, or even magazines you miss reading, make time for them again. Homework can wait a few minutes.

3.Make New Friends.

As a senior, I think it becomes increasingly easier for us to be anti-social. We think to ourselves, “What’s the point? I’m graduating!” or “I’m so done with residence life. Why should I even talk to anyone?” To be honest, I increasingly find myself taking my meals to-go and hiding in my dorm room praying no one texts me or comes knocking on my door. After my best friend graduated last spring I figured I was done making friends. But this semester I am surprised at all of the promising new relationships I am making. So look around. Make friends with people because in the end you can never have too many friends.

4.Reinvent yourself.

Think of graduation as a time to reintroduce yourself to society. In college we discover who we truly are and—hopefully—let it be seen by others. I’m not suggesting you do anything drastic when I say “reinvent yourself.” I mean you can, if you want, but what I suggest is explore your style or cut your hair. Maybe even a get a tattoo if you’ve always wanted one. Just do something that expresses more of yourself because we’re going to need all the confidence we can get when graduation finally comes around.