Excitement, sadness, sorrow are all emotions you feel whether you’re a first year, sophomore, junior, or senior thinking about the end of the semester. Between the freshman awaiting their news on if they are going to live in The Village, the sophomore jittery about studying abroad, the junior who is overloaded with homework, or the senior who is both excited to become a “real” adult and sad to be leaving stag county, the end of the semester is coming and that is a hard concept for us to accept.
Some may say that there is just simply not enough time to complete all the work they have, meet that special someone, fix problems with their friends, and complete everything on their “school year bucket list”, however the end of the semester means a new start to everyone’s lives. Whether it be a career, a friendship, or an internship every end starts the beginning of something better.
First Years
For first years, the end of the semester is a reality check at how fast their first two semesters actually went. Whether it is the excitement of starting a new year or the breakaway from the unhappiness of their first semesters (pertaining to friendships or roommates), the end of the semester is a time to reflect on your first year. Evaluating all the experiences you had. Between the great people met and the multiple mistakes made, your first year was one heck of a learning experience.
Whether you made more mistakes than you’d like to admit, each one was a learning experience and don’t’ frown upon them. Just be grateful that you made those mistakes because now you know yourself better. As a freshman, the end of the first semester shouldn’t be dreaded, but it should be a sign to get you organized and end it with a bang. Your first year is over and there is no going back so the best thing to do it reflect, accept, and get pumped for the next three years!
Sophomores
As a sophomore nearing the end of their two-semester sophomore slump, the excitement of living in the townhouses and finally being an upperclassman is getting the best of everyone. This is a big step for some due to the fact that learning how to cook and clean is an essential and waking up extra early for class is a must, due to your not so close walk from the townhouses and/or Dolan. The wave of “oh my goodness I have to declare a major and start making adult decisions” starts to weigh in and the fact that your first four semesters are done is quite scary.
Number one rule: DON’T FEAR. Things are about to get a lot more fun. Freedom is about to increase just as much as storage space! Instead of worrying about the lack of time left, organize yourself in a way that will help you do your best and make you the happiest. Just because the end of your first two years is coming doesn’t mean your stress level has to increase. For most, 21st birthdays are just around the corner and the idea of doing “adult” things like decorating a whole house are just a few of the exciting events occurring in the fall. Get excited, get pumped, everything is just beginning.
Juniors
Some say that junior year can be one of the most stressful years as a college student. Between the fun activities such as studying abroad and the stressful activities such as finding an internship, the spectrum of content to stressed fluctuate like there is no tomorrow. Most have just signed their leases for a beach house and the excitement of finally getting to wake up to the sound of the waves is so close they can almost taste it. The idea that they are entering their last year as a Fairfield University student is overwhelming because they know senior year is going to fly by.
Enjoy the time you have left as a junior and get excited for the year that is about to come. For those living off campus you are truly gaining your freedom and independence because you are no longer under the constraints of an RA. Now you are making ALL your own decisions without input from anyone else, which can be scary but at the same time very exciting. Enjoy this time and don’t stress, the best year of your college experience is about to begin.
Seniors
Imagine you are in a pool doing laps. Instead of water, it is filled with every emotion one could feel and each time you swim to the edge and back again your emotions change. This is how our seniors are feeling about the end of their last semester as a college student and the fact they will be graduating in just a few weeks. Everything they have experienced, learned, and done here at Fairfield has made them the people they are today. The friends they’ve made, lost, and kept all have made their experience the way it is and the classes they have taken have shaped their outlooks on life. The fact that they are about to step out into the real world as adults who need to support themselves can be extremely overwhelming and stressful. The other thought that close friends will be going in all different directions can also be very sad however the closest of friends make it work and everything will be fine.
The thought of some of the most life changing four years of their lives ending can be extremely overwhelming, but when they graduate a whole new chapter is beginning and this one is for the rest of their lives. With all the emotions these last few weeks for our seniors, they shouldn’t be upset about the end but excited and grateful for everything they have experienced because their life as adults is just beginning.