I have taken the approach that if I did well in college that I could have any job that I wanted. That's why for most of my college career, I kept my nose in my books and I worked as hard as I could. I pushed myself to study for hours instead of getting sleep and to take the best notes I could during class. The one time I decided, "no, I should go out with my friends tonight and have fun," that was the night before my HR midterm. Let me tell ya, the next morning went less than ideal and I ended up having to work harder than ever to make up for it.

This year I am putting a stop to it. Yes, I will still strive to be a good student. I will not let this amount of hard work be thrown away over one great year. I will, however, stop holding back from living this year.

This is my year. This is the time that I am going to use to discover who I am. It's the time I will use to figure out what I dislike. This is the year that I will make stories that I can later tell to my kids...and maybe make a few that I can't share.

So for all of you that feel like you haven't quite had the college experience that you should have, let's make a pack right now to live this year! Let's make new friends, try new drinks, kiss that cute guy in your marketing class, wear an outfit that you've always been too self-conscious to wear, sing a little louder in the car with your windows down, say yes to going out on a random Tuesday night. Take a random road trip out-of-state or visit a place near you that you've always wanted to go to! Do something a little stupid. Do something a little courageous and maybe even a little dangerous.

In a year, none of this will even matter. You owe it to yourself to just let loose a little. I already have plans to tape a storage bin to a skateboard and ride down a hill with one of my best friends later this week. Let your minds run wild my fellow seniors! This is YOUR year. Let's live it up!