College: a weird, magical place where there's some learning, some partying, some growing up, and some acting young. It's a place where there's an abundance of drugs and alcohol, bad grades and GPAs, people to hook up with, new friends to make and old friends to leave behind. The one thing that there doesn't seem to be an abundance of is time. So four years is, generally, all you get.

There is a lot of responsibility and hard work that comes with being a college student. You have 400 level courses, difficult professors who don't cut you any slack, strict deadlines constantly looming over you like heavy weights that are bound to crush you, clubs and organizations to join, friends and family to keep up with, and a future that's one giant question mark getting closer and closer. College is tough. But it's also an experience that only comes around once in a lifetime. Once your four years (or five or six, I don't discriminate) are up, you're forced into the 'real' world, headfirst. Not to mention those terrifying student loans that are waiting like hungry lions ready to consume you whole. Life after college is scary. Or at least the thought of it.

I'm lucky in that those lions won't find me for another two years. But I'm already halfway there; I feel like I just moved into my freshman dorm yesterday. And I'm sure most (if not all) college students can relate to that. Time moves so fast, a fact that's just as scary as the uncertainty of life after college. So with all of these things - student debt, suffocating time, cloudy futures - adding pressure and stress to our lives, why should we spend any time wasting the few precious years we have in this state of crazy, scary, invigorating independence? I don't know about anyone else but I certainly don't want to graduate college knowing that I didn't take full advantage of all the opportunities and possibilities I had here.

A few days ago, I had an epiphany about how I am spending my time here at school. At this point, I am going to be in debt no matter how I handle college. So why should I spend my time sitting around, not taking advantage of how much there is for me to do here?

I'm not saying college should be spent going wild or drinking until you can't remember anything or blowing off homework. Those aren't the opportunities I'm talking about. I mean sacrificing that extra hour of sleep so you can adventure to the highest hill around that overlooks the entire city. I mean taking a break from studying so you can go to the pet store with your friends to play with puppies. Take a weekend off and take a trip to the beach. Wake up before the sun not because you have somewhere to be but because you want to experience the peaceful quiet of the morning. Step out of your comfort zone. Go on a date with that guy you've never given a chance to. Talk to that girl you've had a crush on all semester. Participate in every activity you can because your four years are going to be over in just a blink of an eye.

College is a time for figuring things out. It's a chance to make mistakes but learn along the way. Don't be afraid to take a few leaps of faith. Barriers are meant to be broken and comfort zones aren't meant to last forever. You're only a college student once. So go out and seize the day.