It’s my last semester of college and I can’t help but feel nostalgic and sad. Sure, the times ahead are exciting, but there is only a few months until my life changes. Whether college has been a pain, a wonderful experience, or a mix of both, it’s normal to feel sad and stressed about what lies ahead. It’s also common to freak out about how you may not have utilized the time to your full advantage. DON’T WORRY, you still have some time. You have about 16 more weeks to create lasting memories!!
If you’re like me, you’re more stressed about what comes after graduation. A big part of me doesn’t want college to end and I want to savour this time with freedom, independence, fun, etc. At the end of my junior year of college, I created a bucket list. Guess who hasn’t done a single thing?! Let’s fix that.
With this last semester, I am trying to do as many of the things I’ve said I’ve wanted to do. I’ve really sat with any reasons/ excuses that I come up and I realized a lot of my reasoning wasn’t enough. Let me explain. Let’s say something on my bucket list is to go off campus into the downtown area and go out for dinner with friends. Even though I am available on a given day, I am feeling kind of tired. I still pushed myself to at least float the idea to a few of my friends. And they loved it! Even if it didn’t work out, at least I put it out there! Take the leap! Even if no one is free or interested, you can still go on your own– have those self-dates!!
Sometimes I have spontaneous opportunities for activities, but I find myself coming up with even more reasons– I’m tired, it’s cold, I have work to do, it’s late, it will mess up my schedule/ routine, I don’t want to spend money, etc. I take a minute to sit with these. Would I regret not doing this? Will there be another opportunity to do this? Will I get the money back eventually? Will doing this really ruin my routine/ schedule long-term? Will I fall behind or can I shift my homework around so that I don’t fall behind? Does this sound like something I would enjoy?
Usually when I reflect, I find myself excited to go. Sometimes, I do need to prioritize other things and say no, but at least I didn’t shut it down right away! This habit is good for me because I tend to get lazy and I don’t love being spontaneous all the time, so it’s a great way to break out of that! However, it doesn’t work for everyone– you can try it but if you notice that it doesn’t fit your life, prioritize planned activities!
As I mentioned, if you need more structured ways to get out, schedule that in. Take an hour or two out of your week to go to a new restaurant, to try a new coffee spot, to visit the campus arboretum, etc.! Squeezing in this time will get you out there experiencing the lively campus.
I hope these tips help! Enjoy your last semester and congratulations :)
