We have reached the middle of May, which for many students, means they have completed or nearly completed yet another semester and thus, another year of college. Summer has finally arrived and it is time to take a break from school, studying and any other obligations (unless you got stuck taking summer classes). The end of the school year is a time of change and with change, comes reflection. People begin to reflect on their lives during moments where things are changing. You come to a couple of realizations as you finish off another year of your education.
It goes by fast.
It is the oldest saying in the book. You constantly hear people talking about how college goes by quickly. You never really understand what these people mean until you experience it for yourself. One day you are beginning your freshman year, then soon enough you are finishing up your sophomore year and you are halfway done your undergraduate career. Next thing you know, you find yourself graduating and wondering how these years went by so quickly.
There will always be difficult times.
Nothing in life is ever easy. It is important to remember that there will always be tough times. There will be times where you fail, but failure is what makes us human and with failure comes a lesson learned. There will be times where you do not always get what you want. No matter how hard you may have worked, you will still experience those moments of disappointment from time to time. There will be times where you struggle and that is OK because struggling is the key to success.
Take advantage of every opportunity.
When life presents you with a great opportunity, you must take advantage of it. Whether it be trying a new sport, joining a club, getting an awesome internship or taking on a leadership role; do it. It might seem intimidating, but it is important to step out of your comfort zone and do the things that scare you. Some of these opportunities are hard to come by, which is why you must take advantage of them. You learn a lot about yourself and others through these experiences. The famous Latin phrase "carpe diem" is translated as "seize the day." Remember to seize every day and seize every opportunity.
Having fun is necessary.
As I mentioned earlier, college goes by fast. You go to college to get an education, but you are also there to have fun. Remember to have some fun every now and then. Never take life too seriously because that is when you drive yourself crazy. Go out with your friends and have fun, even if you have work in the morning or a huge exam the following day. It is cliché, but nobody looks back on their life and remembers the nights that they got plenty of sleep or spent the night studying and doing homework.
These are the best years of your life.
College is the greatest time of your life. You will never have another experience quite like this. You will never experience something that provides you with so much stress and anxiety, but so much fun and memories at the same time. In the moments of stress, it may not seem like it, but it really is the best time of your life. Remember to make the most of it, try new things and put yourself out there. Meet new people and make new friends, because you never know who will change your life.
Aristotle once said, "Education is the best provision for life's journey." These years are the truly one of the greatest things we have provided to us. The experiences and lessons we take away from college will stay with us throughout the rest of our lifetime.
