As I walk onto campus this Fall Semester I am overwhelmed by a mixture of feelings. The first of which is that I am sad that soon I will be leaving this beautiful school when I feel like I only just arrived. I know that there are so many things I am going to miss: the friends that I made here, the memories I made with them, and most of all, being apart of Her Campus. As a transfer, making friends was a very scary thought because you don’t know a soul aside from people you may follow on social media, and Her Campus became a space where I could be myself and make friends in an atmosphere that was always supportive and endearing.
I of course feel a sense of happiness because who wouldn’t be happy about finishing school (I mean the parking here is horrific)? I know that soon I will be venturing out into the world with enthusiasm and hopes that I can leave a lasting imprint for others to follow. I am happy knowing that I worked hard in every class regardless of how many times I claimed I would drop out! (lol that tuition though). I am happy knowing that I participated and became involved as much as I could, especially because I am a commuter student. Most of all, I will leave CalLu happy that I was fortunate enough to learn from an institution where everyone I met was always helpful and never turned me away when I needed them.
I am going into my last first day of school dedicated to making this year the most memorable that I can. Being that I will only be getting two years from Cal Lutheran, the best thing I can do is make the most of what I have been given. The best advice I can give to anyone that has been given a shorter time than 4 years at any college is that you shouldn’t be afraid to explore. Make new friends, get involved the best way you can, study abroad (if you’re not chicken like me), take advantage of every opportunity, and go into your last year regretting nothing. Remember that it is okay to be scared or intimidated by the future, everyone is, but don’t let it keep you from following your dreams and when opportunity knocks don’t turn away no matter how different it may be from what you had in mind. Your senior year is all that’s left between you and the real world, so use this time to prepare yourself and have as much fun as possible. You may have eight months to go…but today is your last first day of college, enjoy it.