As the end of college is approaching for many of you (including myself), I just wanted to take a trip down memory lane with you recapping our last four years of college. It truly was an awesome experience, I can't believe it is ending.
Freshman Year: This was the year of freedom, the year that many of you got your first real chance of freedom. Although your resources were limited (many don't have cars, or money, therefore freedom is limited in where you can go), I remember how strange it was that I felt like I was living on my own, yet I didn't have all the freedoms of adulthood yet. I had no real bills to pay, I didn't have a car, and I had my food made for me in the dorm grill. It was a year of trying to find my place and trying to find a way to get involved. For me, I reached out to people I normally wouldn't have, and I decided to go through sorority recruitment. At the time, I had no idea what it would mean, but I can say one of the most important things I got out of freshmen year was some of the best friends I could ask for.
During freshman year everything is new and exciting. You go home for every break and it's fun for like five minutes until you realize that you don't have freedom in your parents house, and immediately you are ready to move back. Everywhere you go is a chance to meet a new friend. However, I guarantee that every single one of you thought, 'I want to transfer.' within the first semester of school. Freshman year stands out because it is different for everyone, as is the whole college experience. You want to go out and have fun, yet still learn how to balance school, a social life and sometimes work. However, at the end, the minute you move out you look at your best friend and say, "We aren't freshmen anymore."
Sophomore Year: For some of us this is the first year that we have our own room, in our own apartment, and we don't live on campus anymore. You realize that living off campus is great, but you no longer can wake up 15 minutes before class and walk right out the door. The bus schedule suddenly becomes your best friend. You have to plan your whole day out, packing a lunch, bringing everything you might need so you don't have to rush home in between classes.
This whole living off campus thing is just a whole new thing to figure out. You start to learn how to manage bills, money, and work. Some of us bring our cars this year in order to be able to commute around, and by now we are more familiar with how the school works. Life kind of hits you all at one time because now you can have parties at your own house, but now it falls on you if something happens. Your taking prerequisite classes for your major so you can no longer slack. Maybe you're freaking out because you were undecided and now you have no idea what you want to major it. This is a year of adjusting, your not a freshmen anymore, now you have responsibility.
Junior Year: This year school becomes much harder, but it is stuff you actually enjoy so you know the work will be worth it. Most of us turn 21 during our junior year (or if you're me, you have to wait until summer starts) but newly 21-year-olds have their own battle. We are balancing going out to the bars because they are new and fun, and doing school work and being adult.
This is the year that those who are prepared (that wasn't me) think about internships and real world experience. School, again gets harder, but not a whole lot different from sophomore or even senior year. Sadly a lot of your friends from your freshman and sophomore year might have transferred this year, or maybe this was the year that you transferred and you might be feeling like a freshman all over again. By this time some of us are thinking, 'Can I just graduate already? I want to get out of here,' while the others are thinking, 'I have no idea what to do with my life how am I supposed to survive in the real world.' I just want to say, props to most of you! You made it to junior year and that's an accomplishment!
Senior Year/Super Senior Year: This is the year of lasts. It won't hit you that you are going to be done until after graduation, on the first day of your big job. You'll realize that college taught you a lot, and the person who moved into the dorms freshman year is nowhere near the person that you are today. You have met some amazing people, and others that didn't quite make it with you to finish the journey. You have created four (or five) years of memories that you'll never forget. You have learned a lot about yourself and the power of good work ethic.
Toward about January until July you enter the world of applying for jobs (some of you are applying for grad schools; good luck!). Now I haven't made it to life after graduation, but I can tell from listening to others that it is a whole new ballpark. Take in your time as a college student because it has already gone by so fast, and now your almost done! Take a moment to just think about all the people who helped you get to where you are. Take a ton of pictures that you can look back on because in a few months you have no idea where you or your friends will be. Some of you might stay around to work a full time job, and many of us will be moving somewhere new. Also take a moment to be proud of yourself. You worked hard to get here, and it wasn't always easy. Take pride in all of the effort and time you put into making this experience great.
Congratulations seniors!
" We (almost) did it" -Elle Woods ("Legally Blonde")
