Hello all. If you're reading this, it means one of two things. One: You've gotten through your first eight weeks of college and are enjoying the start, or end, of your fall break, or two: You're smack dab in the middle of your midterms and you just needed another reason to procrastinate. Either that, or you just happened upon this article...I guess that's possible too. In any case, if you haven't guessed it yet, this article will be about the end of the first semester of college.
As a sophomore, this is a huge step for me in more ways than you'd think. And it's gotten me to think about a few things that I never would have thought about a year ago. Being halfway done with the first semester of sophomore year not only means I'm somehow surviving, it also means that I'm one step closer to becoming a junior, which, in turn, indirectly means I'm one step closer to being a senior, and you know what that means? After that year, I'll be out in the real world, fending for myself. This is why I'll always envy all of you younger generations. You all may not think it, but you have it made with where y'all are right now. So be sure to cherish every precious moment while you can., because once you're where I am, all of that will change. The cloudy veil over your eyes will gradually start to wither and you'll start thinking, I mean REALLY thinking, about the world in a more realistic light as well as where you fit into it. You'll start to wonder if what you've decided to do will really make that much of a difference, whether you'll make it big, or just be another number among the billions within the world. You'll start to choose your friends more selectively; the fakes will become much easier to spot and single out, and you'll only hold onto the ones you know will always stay by your side. You'll even start to see relationships in a different light. It'll no longer be a simple game of chance, but instead will have evolved into who you'll likely be picking to spend the rest of your life with. Now, just as a disclaimer, that last comment doesn't revolve around me--I'm still too young for something like that--but I know some that it does apply to, or soon will, and it terrifies them.
I know that this is a lot, and I'm sorry I decided to have a bit of an existential crisis for this week, but sometimes, I just can't help it. It's crazy to think about, I know, but this is the reality of it, and the sooner we accept that, the better. We're growing up faster than we thought possible. We're no longer the little kids that stayed behind and watched the backs of those that came and went through this before us. Believe it or not, WE'RE those people now. WE'RE the ones that'll soon have to make the tough decisions. WE'RE the ones that now have a younger generation at our backs, watching us. WE'RE the ones that everything rides on now. Yeah, we're still in college now and there's still a bit of time before we really have to take any of this stuff into consideration, but the time is coming, and it's coming much faster than it used to. There's no real way to be ready for it either, it happens in a flash. But there IS a way for us to be as close to ready for it as we can be, and that's to live by setting examples, like those before us did. Live the way you know is right and, at least then, you'll be a little better off than you were before.