As prepared as you may think you are for your last semester of university, you never truly are. At least, if you’re anything like me, it will end up hitting you like a truck, every day, the reminder that these moments will be some of your lasts.
I’m very much a protect-my-peace kind of person. I do fun things with my friends, but if you pitch a movie night-in or a ‘for the plot’ night out, I will almost always choose the night-in. The issue with that mentality now is that I am nearing the end of my university career, and the senioritis is creeping in. Everyone around me keeps talking about “lasts” while I’m running around trying to stay on top of everything else going on in my life.
Something I have been learning throughout university is that balance is very much possible. While it might come easy to some, it was a difficult thing for me, but it is very worth working towards. I hope this reaches someone who may also be struggling with finding balance.
One of my resolutions for the year was to say yes to everything. Whether it be a sports game, a weekend trip out of town or a night out bar hopping, I am trying to be more of a yes-man. Maybe it’s the senioritis, maybe it’s growing up, or maybe it’s all the hopecore TikToks on my FYP, but it’s been drilled into my head recently that time is so fleeting. Money and success will always be there down the road, but memories and amazing experiences are special. It is very important that you grab every opportunity to spend time with your loved ones and make the most out of every moment.
Your life is made up of all these “ordinary” days. Not every day has to be this crazy, thrilling adventure, but you should try to find the good in every day to make your life feel fulfilling. This is the stage in our lives where it’s easy to look ahead and live for the future, but take some time to ground yourself and remember that every day holds the potential to have a special moment. Most of the time, the special moments that I smile about later are just the late-night chats I have with my roomies.
The key takeaway here is to say yes more. Initiate hangouts and just say you’re down. Whether you’re in first year or fourth year, and whether it’s going out for dinner with the girls or producing a Rap God video at 1 A.M., please make the absolute most of the time you have being a student. Coming from a senior enjoying every last moment, I promise you will never regret making memories.