There are many things that are awesome about reaching senior status. You are finally the oldest, you are almost an adult, the finish line is in sight. Then, there are the negatives that you usually ignore until, well, the last few months. Friends will go their separate ways, your routine will dramatically change, the world will be filled with new faces to meet. Personally, I have these thoughts very active in my mind, since I am one who does not react well to change and can sometimes be very introverted. I know that this year holds the many “lasts” of my college career, but that doesn’t mean that I will enjoy them any less, if anything I will do all in my power to enjoy everything more.

This brings me to a clash of emotions. I am a senior, and in less than a year I will not be seeing many of these people frequently, if ever again. (Caveat, I am going to talk about romantic relationships, but my thoughts go far beyond just that type of relationship. It can range from friendships, to professional mentor relationships, to all sorts.) Yet, the first Wednesday of the semester, I found myself debating a question I debated four years back.

When I was a senior in high school, I started a relationship. I was aware that, after the end of the year, I would see her much less often than I did at the time, and I knew what the possible consequences were. Fast forward four years, and I look back at those days with a happy nostalgia. Now, I am here facing the same conundrum, but as a much different person. College has changed my attitude toward the future and made me much more mature. I look at the world differently, simply put. So, why am I still pondering the same question I was four years back?

While listening to my professor speak, my mind wandered. The eternal optimist in me saw a chance to make memories that would last a lifetime, even if the relationship wasn’t meant to. The realist in me kept reminding me how much the potential relationship would change once I moved away. For the whole lecture, my mind weighed the merits on each side. At the end of class, I headed back to my dorm, but I stopped and sat at my favorite place on campus to think. I sat there for a good 10 minutes, looked into the sky, and thought, “Why am I putting myself through this? There is no one that makes me feel.” I was right. There was no reason for me to think about this. Nonetheless, I continued to entertain the idea.

There’s something about things that end that gives you a certain appreciation for them. Like, when it’s the last season of your favorite Netflix series, or when summer is ending and you do your best to do nothing for the remaining days. Maybe the fact that there is a sort of “live in the moment” feeling made the possibility of something worth trying out. Yes, there would come a point that everything would change, but that gives the days that you have so much more value. Wouldn’t you enjoy and hang out with your friends to the max when you knew the date you were going to move to another faraway place?

At the end of that day, the optimistic side of me seemed to have won the argument. Yes, there is potential to go wrong, but then, if you live your whole like in fear of mistakes and failures, then you will never do anything exciting. So, if at any point I feel that I vibe with someone and realize that we both feel the same way, time should not be a negative factor affecting our decision to progress. In the end, we may form great memories that will last a lifetime, and that we will look fondly to in the future.

My recommendation to all seniors out there: Be open to the possibilities, don’t shut yourself in because you are leaving soon. Your school is filled with wonderful people; go out and get to know them. In the end, you’ll be glad you did.