As the year is coming to an end, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the stress of finals and anxiety about graduation. People’s questions about graduation are overwhelming and seemingly endless. All I want to do is hang out with my friends and take in every moment about my last two weeks on campus.
With the end of college approaching so quickly, every little thing seems important. I want to remember every detail about my school, every person here, and make as many memories as possible. And, as great as that sounds it’s all wrong. Putting so much importance on things that I never thought of before is actually taking away from what I’m going to miss most.
I’m going to miss the little things. I’m going to miss the friendly faces, and randomly running into my friends on campus. I’m going to miss waiting fifteen minutes for a bagel and iced coffee (maybe not), and I’m going to miss pulling all nighters with my friends.
Even though every single experience I’ve had hasn’t been the best or the happiest, they still add to the big picture. I’m not going to miss being stressed out about papers and projects or waking up for 8:00am classes. But, I’m going to miss doing those things with my best friends. Our close-knit community makes almost anything seem bearable. Working on homework is more fun when you do it with friends, and being exhausted doesn’t seem so bad when you know there are other people who feel the exact same way you do.
Knowing that I’m about to leave the place I called home for the past three years is a terrifying feeling. I’m not going to be constantly supported by my Kappa Delta sisters, I’m not going to have the comfort of being surrounded by my friends at all times, and I’m not going to be able to turn to 50+ closets when I “don’t have anything to wear.” It’s also scary to think that I’m about to leave the sheltered bubble that has comforted me, encouraged me, and shaped me into the person I am today.
I’m grateful for all of the little things that Lynchburg has given me. The things that don’t seem important are the things I’m going to miss the most. I’ll miss the way the library smells, I’ll miss waiting in line and being late to class, and I’ll miss the stress of printing a paper off three minutes before it’s due.
Even though I’ve been in denial about graduating, I’m excited to see what happens in the next chapter of my life. I’m lucky to have a school that makes graduating so hard, and even luckier to know that I’ll always be able to come back and laugh about all the good times.
