The end of the semester is a busy time. All my friends are stressing over their finals, and are constantly saying how they can't wait for it to be summer. As an art major, I have all my final projects due, and have been getting together last minute assignments. I've felt like I've been living in the studio more than ever the past few weeks. While it will be a relief to be finished with all of that, I am not ready to leave my dorm, friends, and campus.
Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to be back with my friends from home. I'm even looking forward to going back to my job and being with my coworkers all day. As much as I love living in a dorm and having a good meal at Brower, it will be a nice change to be living at home. Even though I've seen my family a few weekends this semester, it will be great to have home cooked meals with them whenever I want and to just be around my parents and little brother more. And of course, I miss my gym at home and my favorite spots to go for runs. Between all of this, I should feel so much more anticipation for the end of the semester, but I can't help but feel like I'm not ready for summer to start.
Part of it is the prospect of such a long summer. In high school, I would've given anything to be off from school for so long. But my college life and life at home feel like two different worlds. While both of them are great, they are great in two completely different ways. I think what I'm dreading the most is the transition between the two worlds more than the summer itself. I am definitely going to miss having my friends a few rooms away. There's nothing like the convenience of being able to knock on the door across the hall when you want to hang out with friends, which I feel like I've taken for granted for so long now.
My first year flew by faster than I ever could've imagined. It feels like just yesterday that I was meeting my roommate who is now one of my best friends. It's crazy to think we're already working on packing up our stuff. We're all anticipating the end of classes and finals, but the semester will be over before we know it. Even though it's overly nostalgic, but I've been thinking about this and enjoying the times spent with my Rutgers friends even more these past weeks as we count down the days. While finals week is inevitable, it's also important to take a break from the stress and remember to enjoy the time we have left.