As a senior in college, I didn’t think it would go by so fast. I don’t intend on graduating until May 2024, but it suddenly seems like my last fall semester is over.
You never realize how fast life moves until you’re about to enter the “real world.” It feels like I was just a freshman in high school who was told to cherish every moment because it goes by in the blink of an eye.
I never believed them. I always thought how fast four years could go? But as I get older, four years is such a small span of time in contrast to the years of your life, and as you get even older, it will feel even shorter.
At 14, I didn’t know. Now at 21, I do.
The four years of college went much faster than the four years of high school, and as I look back at my time at Penn State, I realize how lucky I am.
I also think about how much I want to be present and in the moment come spring semester.
I want to remember everything. I want to be able to tell my kids that college was so much fun and I made the most of everything Penn State had to offer.
There were so many things adults in my life told me that I thought was silly advice or something that would not apply to me, but I was wrong.
Don’t be afraid to look stupid or clueless in classes; you’re here to learn. It took me a while to learn that there are no dumb questions because if it helps you, then there’s a reason to ask it.
Have a social life. It can seem scary to put yourself out there, especially when this school feels huge. I promise it will be so much smaller once you start meeting people — everyone knows everyone here.
Participate in everything. Whatever sounds fun or exciting to you, give it a try. It’s better to try and not like it than not try and wonder if you would have.
Whether it’s going to a soccer game or attending a speaker event on campus, go!
Penn State has many wonderful things to offer. Greek life, clubs, THON organizations, club or intramural sports. Even just meeting people in classes can help you find your group.
Don’t let yourself fall behind. This was something that I never thought would be me. I was always on top of my school work and never had an issue completing it on time, but it took me a minute to learn how to balance my school and life.
With everything happening on this campus, it is better to get in a groove with school work early on so that it doesn’t come back to get you.
Take advantage of the career opportunities Penn State has to offer. As a senior, the common question is: what’s next after graduation? The dreaded question for all seniors or people joining the workforce.
However, Penn State has a great alumni network that students can take advantage of; they host job and internship fairs for all colleges within the university. Take advantage of them. You will not have these opportunities once you graduate.
Many people are applying to college now or waiting to hear back from their dream schools. I promise that you will end up where you should be and not to stress too much.
Whatever happens, is what is meant to happen, and you’re meant to make the most of the situation.
I always wanted to attend Penn State, so this was my dream school. I come from a Penn State family, and it almost felt like a rite of passage that I attended here.
The past four years have moved much faster than I would have liked; I just hope I look back on my experience and know I made the most of my short time here.