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Why You Should Have a Senior Year Bucket List and What Should Be On Yours!

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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

I was always told that the first three years of my undergraduate degree would fly by. Being a freshman at the time, I brushed the thought off, believing that that was a just statement that all seniors say to the freshman. Needless to say, I was wrong. But here I am, three years later and graduating in eight months. With such little time left at UMass Amherst, my closest friend and I created a bucket list of things that we wanted to do and places we wanted to go before we graduated. 

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Original Illustration Designed in Canva for Her Campus Media

One of the key reasons why we decided to make a bucket list is because we want to create a collection of memories that we could always reflect on and have a good laugh or cry thinking about. Your college years are some of the most essential ones for beginning your career, becoming who you really are, and creating bonds that will last a lifetime. Here are just a few of my favorite bucket list points and why they are so important for me to check off!

Visit restaurants and cafes that we have never been to

One of the most important aspects of my life involves trying different drinks, dishes, and foods that I have never tried or maybe never even heard of before. There are so many different ways to prepare meals and so many different dishes from various cultures. I love expanding my palate and being able to incorporate different cultures into my cooking. I also have a love for coffee. I am always jumping at the chance to try a new latte or caffeinated creation and one of the best ways to do this is to explore new cafes in, and outside of, the area. You can never go wrong with a coffee while studying!

Watch the sunrise on campus

Something that I have always wanted to experience is the sunrise on campus. I have seen many sunsets on campus while walking back from my classes or getting dinner with my friends, but I have never seen a sunrise. I am not usually a morning person, but getting up early to watch the sunrise is something worth getting out of bed early for. Putting out a blanket with an iced coffee and a few snacks would be both a beautiful and relaxing experience.

Go into as many buildings on campus as we can

This point on my bucket list is more of a personal one that I have always wanted to accomplish. Students usually only have classes in the same few buildings depending on their majors. This being said I want the chance to explore different buildings and see where other people spend the majority of their time on campus.

Go on a double date

The last experience that I want to be able to cross off my list is to go on a double date with my best friend. The two of us are always going on ‘friend dates’ with each other, but we never actually go on real dates with each other. Something as simple as going to dinner or getting drinks at a cute bar would be perfect to strengthen our friendship and relationships.

College is the best time to try something you’ve always wanted to and even step out of your comfort zone. Most of the time, you will never look back and say you regret trying something new. Sometimes we live life on autopilot and forget to actually enjoy the moment while we are experiencing it. By creating a bucket list, you are forcing yourself to be aware of your actions and enjoy what you are doing rather than just being able to say you did something. At the end of the day, when you look back at your undergraduate years, you want to be able to say that you made the most of your time and were able to check everything off of your bucket list!

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Sydney Lamoureux

U Mass Amherst '24

Sydney is in her junior year at Umass Amherst. She is a double major in legal studies and psychology with a minor in history. She loves advocating for mental health among college students as well as finding cute cafes in New England :)