How did the past three years fly by so fast? I remember walking into my first class on my first day of school as a college freshman. I didn't know anyone. I didn't know who to sit by. I didn't know if I brought enough pencils or paper. And I didn't know if my outfit was alright. Little did I know, none of that even matters in college. You learn that anyone you talk to can be a friend. You learn that it does not matter whom you sit by because you'll probably only exchange a few "hi's" or muffled remarks about homework and grades. You learn that all you ever need in college is a pen and a notebook. Maybe your laptop for online browsing while the professor talks (do people actually take notes on their laptops?). You learn that your outfit couldn't be any more irrelevant than it was your senior year of high school.
Yeah, you learn a lot in college. You spend your days with tens, twenties and hundreds of new people you've never met who are full of new experiences to show you. You try new and probably crappy food and drink, new and definitely crappy cocktails from whatever dining hall or party you were dragged to. You changed your major three times, or you realize your destiny was there all along.
College is great. You spend four years becoming the person you're supposed to be, and somehow it all works out (hopefully). Even though I'm just now starting my senior year, I already miss my friends and the home I've made on campus. How am I supposed to leave all of this behind to start a life in the real world? If there is one thing I've learned from college, it's to live up every moment you have. I sit here and realize that this is my last year to do everything I never did in the past. Every special event or game I refused to go to because of exhaustion or pure laziness is now engraved into my 2016 to 2017 schedule. I will be there. I will experience it now. I remember all of those times my work schedule or invalid excuse kept me away from something I could have attended. I refuse to let that happen this year. I'm joining every organization I can. I'm helping my community whenever I'm needed, and I'm keeping the smile on my face because college life could never be better.
Once your college years are up, you can't go back. It's important to make every memory you can because after this, when is it ever going to be socially acceptable to binge-drink alcohol for five nights straight? When is it ever going to be physically acceptable to pull two all-nighters just to study and chug energy drinks? When is it ever going to be conditionally acceptable to eat Chipotle, Magic Wok and leftover pizza in the same day? And when else will you experience the best four years of your life?
