Being college students, it’s so difficult to not get wrapped up in the constant “what’s next?” or “I can’t wait for...” mindsets. When reflecting on the college years that I already have under my belt, I wish I wouldn’t have been so focused on what was coming a few months down the line. I know that we’re always wishing for the deadlines and exams to be in our rearview mirror, but we need to keep reminding ourselves that as we grow up, the years, in fact, do go faster. When we’re busy wishing a single week away, that’s when time flies by and a semester is all of a sudden over and done with. As I near the end of my sophomore year, I’ve been thinking a lot about the memories I’ve made over the first half of my college career. While a part of me wishes I would have spent more time studying, I don’t look back and wish the grades would have been better instead of having all these wonderful memories. If I had to go back and do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing.

So much emphasis is put on us right now to do be doing everything we can to better our futures, but I want to emphasize how essential this part of our lives is to the rest of our years. Now is the time to be carefree and do whatever feels right. Sure, getting more sleep is the more beneficial way to spend my time on a paper instead of staying up way too late with friends talking in endless circles, but I’m glad I’m tired. I’ll gladly take being tired over feeling like I’m not making the best of my time in college. They call these years the best of your life for a reason. It’s okay to be “young and dumb.” We have the rest of our lives to be working and worrying about things that are out of our control.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is another thing that is so important during this time of our lives. I still struggle with this a lot, but it’s something that I'm continually working on. This could very well be the best way to get to know yourself. You get to know your boundaries, and what gets you to your cut-off point. So many situations that we, as college students, experience are extremely applicable to many situations we will face later on in life, whether it’s when we’re 25 or 85. Stepping out of your comfort zone is such a huge part of living with no regrets. If you never tried something, how do you know for sure that it wouldn’t have worked or gone well? You’ll never know. Pushing your own boundaries is another way to grow as a person. It brings you new experiences and new lessons. Stepping out of your comfort zone isn’t something that you’ll just do in college, it’s something that you’ll be doing the rest of your life, so might as well get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

You learn so much about yourself during these few years. Between finding your independence and finding that balance between your social life and school, you grow an unbelievable amount as a person. Think back to how you were on move-in day freshman year. For me, that’s a mind-boggling thought. I was pretty shy, and wasn’t confident at all in who I was. Because of all the experiences I’ve had over the past few years, I’m completely a different person. I’ve tried so hard to make the most of every opportunity given to me, and that has really pushed me in several aspects. I’ve gotten to know my strengths and weaknesses, and my likes and dislikes. I can only imagine what the next few years will bring. Moving forward, I’m going to continue to focus on making the most of the time I’m given. I definitely am one to get caught up in what’s next, but thinking about how fast these past two years have gone by, I’m going to focus on "living in the now" more than ever.