As much as you might want to avoid it, summer’s over and a new semester of school is about to make its debut. All that came with summer, whether it was the late night parties, wild and passion-filled flings, or the never-ending work cycle, is now no longer. For some of you, accepting this inevitability might be harder than you would’ve expected or hoped. I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to close that chapter of your life: the one that occupied your mind and body throughout the entirety of summer, and the one that had you misplacing time and waking up one morning realizing the clock has run out.
Looking back, it’s pretty easy to feel sad, or maybe even nostalgic about this last chapter. I mean, you probably fell a little bit in love with it and suddenly found yourself dependent on it (whatever your “it” is). You might even feel as though you are being forced to start a new chapter, unwillingly abandoning your attachment to whatever it was that had you so attached to the previous one.
But, it’s all about the way you interpret your experience. You should be able to realize that the time has come and gone, and though it may be difficult to adjust to, it was worth it. In some way or another, even if it’s in the tiniest way imaginable, you learned from it. You were able to take on something new in your life, embracing all of its rough edges along with its smooth surfaces. After all, after everything, you were aware of its possible fleeting existence, of its possible brief period with you. I understand that it might be way more difficult to say than do, but let yourself move on.
And keep in mind, this is in reference to whatever it is or whoever it is that is no longer a part of your life, now that summer has come to an end. If you’re one of the lucky ones that get to hold on for an extended, unknown period of time, then this article isn’t in reference to you. If you are, however, one of those few that find yourself trying to cope with letting go and moving on, all you need to know is that at some point in the near future, you will have succeeded at those two things. Maybe for right now it doesn’t seem viable, but that state of feeling isn’t permanent. You will be able to set aside all that has happened and realize that it is in your past for a reason. It belongs there, which means you need to leave it there. You will begin to recognize the positives in leaving it all behind, and you’ll be so proud of yourself for doing so.
Not all that you come across in life is meant to stay. You have to be willing to let some of it leave you behind. And now with the start of a new semester, you’ll be completely distracted with assignments, papers, and all of that jazz. Let yourself bask in the chaotic atmosphere that accompanies university life. You won’t regret it.