This is it ... almost. You are halfway done with your college career. Everything has gone as planned so far. Well, as far as you can plan sleepless nights, empty bank accounts, bar crawls, over-eating, roommate fights, random hookups and finals. But you have almost made it.
You survived your freshman year. Sure, at first you were terrified. Then you were overwhelmed with all of the freedom to do (almost) whatever it is you wanted to do whenever you wanted to do it. You thought, "Man, I've got this whole college thing down pat." Classes threw you for a loop, but there were plenty of late night study dates that got you through them. You were constantly making new friends; everywhere you turned there was someone new and interesting to meet. Next thing you know, you're moving out of your freshman dorm, hugging your crying freshman roomie, swearing that next year will be even better.
Summer breezes by in a heartbeat and the next thing you know you are moving back to that beloved college town to begin the dreaded sophomore year. The sophomore slump. It is very real and it hits you hard. You aren't the new group on campus that everyone wants to meet and hang out with; it's not cool to go out every single weekend anymore (only every other one) and the classes are a bit harder than you remember them being your freshman year.
Then you think, "Wait, if college is already like this, how am I supposed to survive my junior and senior years?" You make the most of it, though. You make plenty of new memories with old friends ... enough to last a lifetime. You also make new memories with new friends because, as it turns out, you still meet new people during your sophomore year. The semesters go on and before you know it, it's over, too, and it's time to move out.
Reality hits you. You are halfway done—halfway done with this incredible, life-changing experience that has shaped you into who you are and who you are becoming. The last two years have been a roller coaster of emotions. You had some of the worst times of your life, but you also experienced some of the greatest things you never could have imagined. And it all flew by fast. You think college is going to last forever and then you wake up during finals week at the end of your sophomore year and realize it's halfway over, and you know good and well that the next two years are going to fly by just as fast.
In the midst of the past two years of this amazing experience you were constantly wishing the time away. "Oh, I can't wait till formal next weekend" or "Oh my God, this month needs to hurry up so we can go home for Christmas break" and that's OK. We are all humans, and it's only natural to look forward to the exciting things we've planned for ourselves.
But sometimes it's also OK to slow down. We never know how much time we have left and constantly wishing it away won't do us any good. The first two years flew by; why rush the next two? Once college is over you're out there in the real world doing big girl (or boy) things. And yeah, that's going to be a pretty awesome, new experience, too, but it will also be so completely and totally different from college or anything else you have ever done.
You are going to wonder what in the world you are doing at times, and you are going to question if your major is right for you. You are going to wonder if you are friends with the right people or if you even came to the right school. You are going to wonder if you can finish on time and you are going to worry about what you are going to do after you graduate. But don't worry; it is all going to work out the way it is supposed to. It's your job to enjoy the ride because, remember: you are halfway done, and before you know it, you'll blink and be standing there in a graduation cap and gown.
