As graduation and summer are approaching, I feel like reflecting on time well-spent and maybe not so well spent. College is of course about an education, but what else will really leave an impact on you after you leave? Friends, professors, organizations you joined, sports teams or clubs? For everyone the college experience is different.
Four years really does fly by. Looking back, I wonder if the time I spent was well-spent or would I have done anything differently. Before beginning college, most students can't wait for the parties, new people, a new place and especially being away from home. Most students probably forget about the endless amounts of work they'll get and stay on top of while also trying to have a "life."
What's really important though is having real friends, not friends who will just take you to some fun, crazy party, but a friend who's there for you on a long night at the library or on a night where you need a break from going out. Many students probably hardly even remember their crazy nights out, so what was really the point? Sure, sometimes those nights are fun, but in the end you probably won't remember the night, but you'll most likely remember whom you were with.
College is all about moving away from home, starting life away from your parents and figuring out what's next in your journey of life. It all flies by so fast. Sometimes it's hard to believe that four years has passed us by. Most students start to realize that maybe they've taken their time here for granted when they hit senior year.
They realize, holy crap I have one year left, and then "poof" off into the real world. Yah, it can be a scary thought, but I feel like it's time. I realize now that I want to spend my last weeks with friends who will stay friends post-graduation. Pretty soon we'll all be off all over the country with jobs, grad school and whatever else. We won't be able to all be in one place again, for the most part. So I find myself trying not to decline invites to dinner or trivia, unless I really just can't, because there are only so many days left.
Leaving college also makes us think about what we wish we had done while we were here, or maybe what we shouldn't have done. Many students have the goal of the 14 Day Club at CJ's, or eating at every restaurant in Oxford, which are fun, but again the people you make the memories with will stick with you. Having a huge group of friends isn't what's important, it's really the few close friends you'll know you'll have even when you're not here anymore.
College is an important transition from high school and being at home, to becoming an adult. Most students come and spend time with all the other people in their residence hall, go out at least every weekend, if not on a Thursday night too and sometimes class comes second. There are also students who have a good balance of both, and class always wins when something is due or an exam is coming up. And there are also students where school is their main priority and friends come second. Having a balance is important.
Spend time with friends enjoy every minute. I don't mean enjoy every minute with friends at the bars or parties, just enjoy what college has to offer, including new experiences, classes, internships and being away from home. It flies by and one day you'll wake up and realize you have four weeks left. When you get this close you really start to realize the people who had an impact and the memories made with them.
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