After your freshmen year of college, what's the next best thing you look forward to? Your 21st birthday! Right? This campus has taken the celebration of a 21st birthday to the extreme. 

A few things that a 21 year old looks forward to with their friends is going to the Citgo on Bryant at midnight and making their first legal purchase. The next event takes place at a dinner with close friends and margaritas. To follow, is the birthday party and the revealing of the sign. The goal of the sign is to check off as many ridiculous things as possible until you make it to the last request on the list. The actual significance of the night is to gather your friends to celebrate you becoming of age.

The real question is, what is there to look forward to after your 21st birthday? Is there a sign that comes the day after, and so forth? Now the birthday that I've looked forward to for so long has passed, I had to actually think about the next step. I needed to find an internship, to complete the credits that will help me graduate on time, and to figure out what it is that I want to do in life after I graduate. 

Reality can be terrifying for a 21 year old. The 21st birthday sign may seem like an immature tradition; however, maybe we ought to use that same idea in a more mature fashion.  In other words, now is the time to create a checklist of the 22 things I need to do before I actually turn 22!

In order to make a self-checklist, the key ingredient is to remember what priorities come first. Everyone has different ways of prioritizing their lives. It's important to not let the college culture change the order of priorities. Relationships and health should always come first. This is where you place any religion, family, significant others, and close friends. How can you increase the value of these relationships and make them better? Your personal health plays a huge role as well. Are you eating things that promote a healthy lifestyle? You have to remember that your body is not like a car.  You can’t trade it in for a new one. Taking a few minutes to exercise your bodies instead of using that time to sleep in or have extra time to get ready to go out is also essential.   

The next category on the list should include your scholastic goals. As college students, we often forget we're actually here to learn and earn a degree. Instead, we enjoy the social aspect much more that is provided to us through our Greek organization or groups we associate ourselves with. It is so easy to fall into a rut at some point during our college career. The only way to get out of it is to set a high standard and push yourself out by surrounding yourself with encouraging people that will help you during a difficult time. Anyone can complain about how terrible and depressing his or her life is. 

The honest truth is, unless you are willing to listen and make a difference within yourself to break out of the rut, there's no way of changing. That's why school should be positioned in a specific place on this checklist. Without the grades and effort, how can we expect to get out of here? Get ready to check off your remaining classes fast because college flies by. Figure out when your graduation will be and keep it in the back of your mind while planning your check list of things to do before your next birthday. This will help with timing for internships, volunteering opportunities, and the credits your have left. Search for internships that will help you grow, not for the ones that look the best on your resume. Have fun with the search of internships and volunteering. Challenge yourself to take on a job that is out of your comfort zone. This may lead you to your destiny! Never be afraid to use your resources when searching for these things. These days it seems that it is not always what you know, but who you know.   

The last priority is your social life. Sacrifices are always in the picture when you are juggling the leading priorities. Always take time to enjoy the small things. Take small breaks from your busy life to spend time with your friends or to even take time to yourself. 

Turning 22 is a scary thing that we all have to face. Keep your relationships close and fulfilling. Stay healthy and take care of yourself with the thoughts that we only have one body for the rest of our lives. Do not forget we only have one life. Do-overs are hard to come by, which is why we have to attempt to make a guideline. Throughout time, the list will change often, similar to our 21st birthday’s list, which is why we have to stay open-minded and calm throughout the process! As long we are as eager to complete our 22nd birthday list as we were with our 21st, reaching the end will be a beautiful sight to see!