I just finished my last first week of college. It was dreadful. I had homework and studying to do before the first day even started, I had to wake up by 7 am for my internship along with having to run sprints at practice later that day. I did four hours’ worth of homework instead of going to get ice cream with some friends and didn’t go to bed until 12:30. It left me really, really wanting to curl up in a blanket, watch Netflix for 12 hours straight and maybe even cry a little; because, DAMN, am I going to miss this.
Because, you see, being a senior in college is nothing like being a senior in high school. In high school, I couldn’t wait to graduate, I couldn’t wait to get the heck out of there and start my new adventure. And while yes, I’m excited to get a ‘big-girl’ job or head off to grad school, it’s just not the same, because I am sincerely going to miss college.
No I’m not going to miss worrying about avoiding RA’s as you walk in at 3 AM or house parties where you can barely move, let alone breathe; no, I’m not going to miss the student life office telling you how many ‘fun activities’ there are on campus even though everyone knows the most fun activities they have nothing to do with and are usually post- 10pm; and no, I’m not going to miss holding some random girls hair in the bar and she pukes up yesterday’s Taco Bell.
As an incoming freshmen, so many college students think that those moments are what it’s all about, that college is all about the party and those drunk memories will make their college years, but while yes, they do play a part, your college experience is so much bigger than that.
I’ll be the first to say that I’ve got some crazy funny memories from those nights where you just didn’t sleep, but some of my best memories are from half-delirious finals week nights where my best friend and I would ‘borrow’ IT’s coffee cart and troll around our student center handing out free coffee and snacks to other students riding the struggle bus that night, or waking up at 11 am smushed into a bed next to 5 of my closest friends because we stayed up way too late talking about life. Going to dollar bowling with my teammates on Wednesdays religiously, no matter how early we have to get up the next morning, and saying screw it and going to Cleveland at the drop of a hat for the Cavs championship game, or even just going to the lake when it’s negative 20 degrees out in the middle of winter at midnight.
Those are the memories that make college. Those are the moments that you never want to end, the ones that you will cherish forever with people who will be in your life, for the rest of your life.
I have made my very best friends and my very best memories on this wonderful campus that I call home. So for every freshmen, oh so eager to ‘do college right’, just make sure you do college in a way that makes you happy, not everyone’s version will be the same, but you won’t ever regret making memories you’ll never forget with people who you’ll remember.
Because, when you’re faced with your looming last year, you’re going to want to be crazy busy, crazy stressed and still be saying, “I love this place, I love these people, I’m going to miss this,”
