With graduation right around the corner, it’s only natural to reflect on my time spent at Stony Brook University. I’ve been a student at Stony Brook since the fall of 2015, but every year, every semester, gets lumped together in my brain. I completed five semesters here and yet it still feels like I only started classes a week ago.

The most wonderful part of being at Stony Brook, and probably the part that will be the hardest to let go of upon graduating, is having my boyfriend on campus with me. I attended college for 5 ½ years, and not once did I ever have a boyfriend that attended the same university. So, when we started dating, it was a little strange for me, and it was definitely an adjustment to get used to seeing him in an academic setting after having spent the summer getting to know each other and experiencing the first couple months of being in a relationship together.

Now it’s going to be the hardest thing to have to let go of. Having a boyfriend on campus, especially one as sweet as mine, was like having a human survival pack. He was an academic lifeline that I never realized I needed. The simple act of meeting eyes while walking toward each other between classes relieved the constant stress and tension I always felt from my classes. Without even knowing it or trying, he took the weight off my shoulders, even if it was just for 10 minutes. Laughing between classes was just enough for me to regain strength to push myself through another batch of lectures and assignments.

Just the idea of entering the ‘grown-up’ world of full-time jobs is overwhelming enough, but knowing my boyfriend won’t be there anymore to accompany me on my breaks is a whole other level of overwhelming. Knowing he’s not going to be waiting outside of my office door with a smile on his face, ready to grab my hand, makes me scared for what’s ahead. He was my comfort zone; he was my safe space when I felt I didn’t have one on campus.

Our lives are going to change with my (hopefully) landing a full-time job and his still attending school, but I know we're going to excel to become stronger than ever. He’s my rock, and I want to thank him for guiding (and sometimes dragging) me through my last semester at Stony Brook. He was truly the best guidance a girl can ask for through a tough final semester. I would also like to thank Stony Brook University for bringing us together.