It is crazy to think that the Spring semester is wrapping up in just a few short weeks! With registration for the Fall completed and housing decisions coming up, we are about to say goodbye to another year at Saint Vincent – and if you are a senior, goodbye to your undergrad years of school!
This is all especially surreal to me because I will be graduating from Saint Vincent a semester early in December of 2019 (crazy!!!). I never really thought I would be saying how much I would miss college, since it has been hard on me personally over the years. But, to think that all of those long nights, happy moments, breakdowns, etc. is coming to end is something I never thought I would have a hard time accepting. If you are an underclassman or getting ready to move on from Saint Vincent, here are some things that you should appreciate before these moments you are living become memories.
1. Grow in Your Independence
For a lot of us, coming to college was the first time that we truly experienced being on our own. Yes, we had friends and family supporting us, but all of the decisions of going to class, how much you study, who you hang out with, etc., was 100% up to you. Not only that, but overcoming hardships by yourself was new to me, since I am 4 hours from my family in Maryland. If there is one thing that college has taught me outside of the classroom, it’s that the growth you experience within yourself will help shape you for the rest of your life. I am forever grateful for all the good and bad that has done so in the past 3 years.
2. Learn as Much as You Can
Yes, we all complain about going to class and all of the homework/studying we have, but the opportunity to learn as much as we are right now, will most likely never be available to us again (unless you continue your education). Saint Vincent has so much to offer academically with all of our amazing professors and faculty members who are so willing to give us all the tools we need in the next chapter of our lives. P.S. I know you will be thinking about this the next time you decide to skip class.
3. Appreciate Those Around You
It is so so important to remind those around you that you love them. Being able to see your friends all day, every day is such a blessing that won’t always be available in the next chapter of our lives. Grab lunch/coffee, spend a little extra time with friends instead of studying, and just enjoy the time you have left with your BFFS.
4. HAVE FUN!
The one thing I have learned over the past 6 months is that while yes, we are in college to get a degree for our future, it is also important to HAVE FUN! The friends and memories that I have made in just 3 years I know for sure will last a lifetime. I have come to understand that college isn’t always supposed to be stressful and worrying about how much you should or shouldn’t study for an exam, it’s about finding your people, making memories, and moving on to the next chapter with them. My grades are important to me, but so are the moments that I will be able to tell my future children about one day from my time in college.
Cherish the time you have because, “you don’t know what you got until its gone.”
HCXO,
Sam