It seems crazy to think that a mere nine or so months ago, I was graduating from high school. Eight months ago, I was moving into my new dorm. Now, with only two weeks left of school and four finals standing in the way of summer, I can't believe I am a quarter of a way done with my college years.
It's been a wild ride, a roller coaster of adventures, experiences, and emotions— some good, some bad. I have joined a sorority (something which I never thought I would do, to be honest) and met some of the most wonderful women I know. I have had my fair share of all-nighters, and most definitely days where I have stayed in bed all day and did nothing but sleep and watch Netflix. College has provided me with amazing opportunities, whether it has been taking that one great class, making unforgettable memories, or learning the tools I needed to get that summer internship. Yes, there have been the downsides. The inevitable drifting apart (or breaking up completely) of high school friendships you swore you would keep, the tearful nights when you question your place in college life, the insane time of finals, when it seems that perhaps you started studying just a tad too late…. The downs are numerous, but the ups are countless.
I am not the first one to declare how fast time flies. It is a phenomenon we are all aware of and would dearly like to stop. However, we all know that that cannot happen. College seems different from high school. In high school, I was well aware of how quickly time was passing, but I always rationalized that I would have time in college to live it up and have even more fun. Now that I am actually in college, time seems uncontrollable. Before I even knew it, second semester was gone. Now, summers are less about relaxing and more about creating opportunities to help me succeed in my path. The summer internship in New York, while I am sure will be an experience in and of itself, is just another reminder that “real life" is looming behind these next few years. Friends are going abroad and people I know are already taking on full- time jobs. Yes, college is the embodiment of youthful exuberance, but it is also a sly reminder that four years are all too short and that reality is just around the corner. It's the time when we begin to truly learn what it means to be independent.
One year of college and I've learned an immense amount: calculating the optimal time to do laundry (2 A.M. is definitely a no go), where the best food is, when to study, and when to go out, learning how to get along—and maybe even become friends—with completely different people, and balancing my time. It is easy to get caught up in the moment, so that you don't notice how quickly time goes by, and in writing this, I have had some time to step back and reflect on my freshman year.
If freshman year is any indication of what my next three years are going to be like, then I have no doubt college will be one of the best times of my life. Three years sounds like a long time, but I know they will be gone in a snap (current sophomores, juniors, and seniors, can back this up). It's a bittersweet realization, because a part of me cannot wait to get out there and tackle real life, but another part of me is desperately trying to hold onto whatever youth I have left. One thing is for sure, though— freshman year was a big milestone, and I will never forget the experiences I have had.
