Coming to college as a freshman you hear the advice of “enjoy it while or lasts” or “it’s the quickest four years of your life” something along those lines and now sitting here as a senior I now understand those words because they weren’t kidding. I’m now the tallest on the totem pole (as my father would say) and quite honestly I’m not sure how I feel about it… still even after a semester is over. It’s crazy to look back and think of how I’m a completely different person from where I began. People have come and gone, friendships have grown and relationships have taught me life long lessons. Memories have been created, even on the nights I can’t remember. Senior year is the year full of mixed emotions.
Here are the 5 phases every senior goes through at one point:
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I made it!
Honestly I never thought the day would come. That anthropology class freshman year screwed my GPA over. I changed my major, maybe added a minor, dropped an impossible class. Whatever the situation may be the likelihood of a senior who spent all fours years on track is very rare. Our advisors maybe gave us the wrong class to take and for a minute we thought we weren’t going to graduate BUT no worries we’re in the clear. Hala – freakin – llijuah. All those years of stressing out over one god damn piece of paper and we can now check this off our list.
2. Going up on a Tuesday
It’s waaaaang night, the only thing that gets you through the beginning of the week.You figure your earliest class is a nine a.m. and you’ll write your paper for your noon class in between that break, we got this. You feel badass going out on a Tuesday, but in the real world this probably won’t happen too often so enjoy it while it last. Kick back some beers with your roommates and test your knowledge with some trivia. Top it off with some mild wings wings and it’s a solid night. The hangover might be a little rough the next day, but pop some tylenol and drink some water and it’ll be okay.
3. Following the Tuesday…
Somehow you’ve managed to go out four nights in a row and you don’t know how you’re “still alive but barely breathing” as said by The Script. The nights are a blur, but the mornings after make you laugh until you cry. As you sit in your living room recollecting all the stupid shenanigans you got yourself into the night before you wouldn’t change your hangover for the world. You might be wearing a pair of shades and huddled under the blanket asking yourself “is this what death feels like,” but that’s okay because it was all worth it for the lifetime of memories.
4. The Lack of Motivation for School Work is Real
If a class was offered for partying you’d probably have an A + at this point in your college career, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Your classes are probably a joke and it’s hard for your to take them seriously. You try to stay motivated, but knowing that diploma isn’t far off in this distance makes it so much harder. You’ve been in school your whole life and this point you can’t even. It’s okay it happens to the best of us.
5. When it really sinks in
After spring break is where is really begins to set in. This is your last haul before you’re done. Forever. Crazy right?! You learn to take in this moments a little more and even branch out and eat campus food for one last hoorah. You begin to relive your freshman memories and talk about your prime college years. As activities come to an end it really hits you. It’s okay though because it’s not the end, but only the beginning of another adventure.
College is where I found myself and looking back I wouldn’t change a thing, but as I was once told.. It’s the quickest four years of your life. The friendships I made will forever last a lifetime and the memories that we cherish will hold a special place in your heart. School comes first, but don’t forget to live a little. The best moments are the ones we didn’t plan.