As of now, I have just completed my sophomore year of college, and the feels...are vast.

When I finished my last final I was ecstatic. "Yes! Another year in the books." Then I realized I had four semesters left to try to figure the rest of my life out. this phenomenon, my peers, is defined as the Mid-College Life Crisis.

I would define the mid-college crisis as the college student’s version of a mid-life crisis. Basically, it’s a realization around the middle of someone’s college experience that their time is almost up. This realization causes them to reflect on missed opportunities and try, possibly too hard, to make up for lost time at any cost. This crisis is such an impacting event for students because our time in college is short and there is constant pressure to do as many things as possible in what are supposed to be “the best four years of our lives.” So when it’s clear that half of that time is done, it’s easy to look back and get stressed out by all the missed opportunities.

For freshmen, I would advise deciding what they want to get out of their college experience and take their time in school seriously. That doesn’t necessarily mean only focusing on work or only focusing on having fun. But if you don’t know what you want, you’re more likely to make mistakes along the way. College is intended to be a place where we fall and get to pick ourselves back up, so don’t worry if you fall and don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life yet. I’m a junior and I change my mind almost daily.

The key is to know what you want to achieve in the time you spend on campus. If you want to have a 4.0 GPA, I commend you and encourage you to study and read for your classes and try to soak up as much wisdom from your books and professors as possible. If you’re in it for a last hoorah or a last few years of freedom before joining the real world, go out, have fun and stay safe, but make sure you take your classes seriously enough to pass them. Or, if you’re like me, and are looking for four years filled with unforgettable memories, lasting friendships and a deeper understanding of your future career path, learn how to manage your time, stay on top of your work and have fun whenever you have a spare minute.

All those opportunities you passed out on your first two years should be re-evaluated. As you get closer and closer to graduation, go to that weird event instead of watching Netflix. Join those clubs. Meet those new connections. You'll never know what you can bring out to the world if you don't explore what your school has in store.