The end of summer is in sight. Depressing back to school commercials are beginning to play. I'm feeling a growing dread as I think of packing my room up and lugging it all to my dorm. Buying textbooks. Making schedules. Summer's end is such a melancholy feeling; it's that deflating feeling of wonder, like when you realize a star is actually the light on the plane, or when you can't find the perfect song on the radio at the end of your road trip.

But the beginning of school isn't all bad. There's so much to look forward to this coming semester for Columbia College students.

1. Dulany

Yeah, I know, everyone is looking forward to cafeteria food... But we are getting a new food provider this year. Who's excited to try them out?

2. The Quad

With an amphitheater, more outdoor seating, a garden and a fountain, our school is going to look and feel more like a college campus! I can't wait to walk down those engraved brick sidewalks on the way to class, eat lunch under a shaded pavilion, and have lectures at the amphitheater.

3. Fall Sports

This is a big year for Columbia College as far as athletics go. Our volleyball team is defending their 2015 victory. The Cross Country Track and Field Teams are revamping with new coaches. Both soccer teams are advancing in their conferences with impressive stats. This is the first year for our eSports team. Fall of 2016 is a promising and exciting season for Columbia Cougars.

4. Navigators

To Know Christ and to Make Him Known. This is a ministry I've been a part of for the past year and I'm really excited to see where it goes this semester. As one of the few Christian ministries on campus, it's a great way to meet other students who are living life with purpose you at your school. This year there will be new events along with the weekly Bible studies, to create more opportunities for meeting and inviting friends. Can't wait to be with my Navigators again and to grow this group!

5. Social Life

We've all had fun this summer, reconnecting with old friends and family, but there's just something about being back on campus. As nice as it is to get away from it for a while, the social scene is definitely something I've missed. It's not quite as lively back home. I'm so looking forward to late night food adventures with my roommates and "studying" with classmates. Dorm hall programs, sporting events and late night breakfast, here I come.

6. The City

The restaurants. The coffee shops. Stephens Park. The MKT. It's great to go back to our hometowns where everything is familiar, but we all miss the little nooks and crannies around Columbia that we've have made our own. It's become familiar as well, as the town that we now claim as ours.

7. The School

Columbia College is beautiful. My friends there have become like family. If this list is true for you, you chose the right school. The end of summer is always sad, but the excitement of a new year at CC definitely makes up for it.

What about you? What are you looking forward to this fall 2016?