Where has the time gone?

To me, time is a strange concept. When I was a 5 year old, it seemed like the clock never moved forward. Although I am not aware of the Earth moving much faster than it did 16 years ago, it seems that time moves faster and faster as I grow older. As a girl who is about to be a senior in college, I feel as if the world is spinning faster than it ever has. Where did the time go?

Well, as I sit and ponder that question, I've realized my time has flown to a lot of places. In college, my time has been spent making memories with some of the best people I have ever known, studying at hours of the night when any person in his or her right mind would not be awake, and participating in many activities- possibly too many activities. But as I sit here and ponder how I went from being a 5 year old with no care in the world to a 21 year old who will be off in the real world soon, I have some advice for you.

1. Savor your time with friends. Spending time with friends is what keeps me together when I am falling apart. Whether I am stressing unnecessarily about a test, ranting about my boy problems, or just being goofy, I can always count on them. What I've realized is that after senior year, I will go off to graduate school, and who knows where my friends will go get jobs or go to school. I've realized that this is my last year seeing my friends almost every day, and I've decided to make every second I have with them count. To all the freshmen- please spend as much time as you can with your friends, make as many friends as humanly possible, and keep them super close. To the seniors- relish these moments, and make this year with your friends the best yet.

2. Appreciate your family. After I graduated high school, my parents moved away, and I went to college in the same city where I grew up. Now that was weird. Only seeing my family on holidays and breaks was rough on me, but then they moved back, and I couldn't be happier. I still only see my older sisters occasionally, and I am lucky to be able to go to my brothers' sporting events and maybe dinner a couple times per week. Not being with my family constantly has taught me that family is the most valuable gift, and every moment I spend with them, I only love them more. So instead of sitting on your phones all day when you're with them, cherish your family- after all, where would you be without them?

3. Don't rush into relationships. This is a big one. I haven't always been good at this one, but I have realized that you can't rush relationships. If you're "talking" with someone, take it slow. Get to know this guy or girl. Learn all you can about this person- their likes and dislikes, their favorite movies, their values. Spend time with this person rather than constantly texting or snapchatting and then saying "Let's date." Sometimes, you have to take it slow, and that is definitely a good thing. And if you're anxiously awaiting the arrival of Prince Charming- no worries, it'll happen eventually. Patience is key.

4. Breathe. With all the hustle and bustle going on around us, it is easy to fall into the same routine. You wake up at 8 am, go to class all day, go to work, go to practice or another activity, do homework until 3 am, and repeat it the next day. This has been my life for most of my college career. I don't regret being so busy, but sometimes, a break is much needed. Give yourself time to be mentally healthy. Take a walk in the park, go for a hike, watch Netflix, or literally just sit in silence. Most importantly- GET SOME SLEEP. Trust me, it makes life a lot better.

5. Take time to study. You could say that I put the "pro" in procrastination. My busy life makes that very easy. I've learned that if you want to be successful in a class, you MUST put time and effort into it. Go to class. Go to office hours. And as an SI leader, I must say- for goodness sake DON'T go to a study session the night before a test and expect to learn everything. Make a study schedule and stick to it. You're in charge of your own success.

As I enter my senior year, I am asked constantly, what are your plans after graduation? Where do you want to go to graduate school? What are you going to do with your life? It's as if time can't move fast enough. What I've realized is that I have time to figure life out. It's up to me to slow down the clock. Life moves fast, but you have to take time to stop and smell the roses