Once again, we face the last week of classes before finals and summer break, which means that the semester is coming to an end. Looking back on just this semester of college, let alone the whole year, it is shocking to consider how much has changed over the past few months. Sometimes, this change can be a relief, but more often than not, it makes us worry that the past few months will be sheer memory by the end of summer, never to be relived. It is also equal parts concerning and exciting that we have no idea what the next semester has in store for us. It is important to realize that each semester will be almost entirely different from the last, but that’s okay.
Life is always changing, both with and without us realizing it. The changes in our lives can be something as small as doing your hair a different way or deciding to eat a little bit cleaner. They can also be as big as landing a great job or internship, or achieving something you have been working extremely long and hard for. We make changes in our own lives by growing into the people we desire to be, even when we aren’t even aware that we are doing so.
Sometimes, though, the change does not come from within ourselves. Over the last few months, all kinds of relationships have been made and lost, both at school and at home. Someone close to you could have passed away. The friendships from last semester that you knew only for a few months, but seemed like a lifetime, might have faded. Maybe you have found someone or something that completes you. Whether or not someone has left or entered your life, they have had an impact on your life far greater than you can probably imagine.
Perhaps you have joined an organization that will transcend your college years, or found something solid and stable to hold onto that will be unchanging. This could be anything, such as Greek life, a sport, or another organization, and the people you become close to within them. Maybe your family back home provides the ultimate support in your life. These types of things are rare, yet important and cherish. As strong as we like to make ourselves out to be, this is not only the case. Sometimes we feel alone. Whether you lost or found your support system this semester, it is for a reason.
This semester, we have shed tears and laughed until our sides split. We have expanded and enhanced our minds and spirits through knowledge and experience. Any number of things could have happened that had an impact on your life today. If things happen to change during the upcoming fall semester, then great! If they stay the same as this current semester, then that’s great, too! Everyone grows at their own pace, and that is what college gives us all a chance to do.