“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
This quote resonated with me every time I reached a new stage in my childhood and adolescent life. Whether it was something as trivial as leaving camp, or graduating from high school, each transition I made was typically marked by extreme optimism and excitement. Perhaps the most important of these incredible milestones was my departure from high school. As soon as my name was called, I darted up to the stage as quickly as I could to receive my diploma. It was time for me to finally leave Horace Greeley High School and embark on a whole new kind of experience: college. While I could not wait to start my new journey, I did not realize how much truth there is to the statement “college is the best four years of your life”. At the time, I also did not know that my academic career was about to be shortened. Although I will be spending time here for the duration of the school year, I have made the decision to graduate in December. If anything, my time at Michigan has been the “best three-and-a-half years of my life”. So here is the ode to my lasts, as I have reached the beginning of the end of the most momentous experience I could have ever asked for.
Here’s to my last, first football game:
2012
2015
I have always appreciated Michigan Football, considering doing so is basically a prerequisite to attend this school. As a freshman, I was excited to go to my first game as a student. I remember looking around, thinking, “wow, this makes Greeley football look pathetic.” But in reality, this makes any football experience look pathetic. Never in my life had I stood in a stadium with more poise and enthusiasm. I was absolutely mesmerized. The truth is, I still have not become fully habituated to standing in the Michigan Stadium. Each time I have attended a football game, whether we win or lose, I have felt like I was a part of something meaningful. Watching the games reminds me that I am not just a crazy fan cheering on a team, but I am also a student, one of the “leaders and the best”. This is my team that is fighting to represent a community of which I contribute to on a daily basis. But walking into the Big House for the first time this season felt a little different. I looked around me and realized that this is one of the last times I will ever be able to stand and cheer for the Wolverines as a student, with my peers. In my future visits to Michigan, I will once again be merely a fan. I will have made my mark here, but it will never be the same.
Here’s to my last semester of classes:
Never again will I be able to sit in a lecture hall of hundreds of students. As a freshman, I remember feeling intimidated by the class sizes at this school. I was also uncomfortable with the amount of work I had, and the expectations that were set for me academically. Soon enough, I began to appreciate the content and material I was given. I became a nerd, spending hours on the second floor of the Undergraduate Library reading my course material. I often get asked, “do you live here?” I usually respond by saying I have an immense amount of work, which is true; however, I have become so attached to my courses that I cannot help but sit and actually do my readings because I am so intrigued by the concepts my professors have introduced to me. What I did not realize initially is how lucky I have been to be exposed to some of the most interesting and thought provoking course material out there. Ahead of me is a future of vocational education, followed by the application of it in my future career. I remember sitting in my first class this semester: it was then that I realized that this is the last time that I can elect to learn about anything I want, for the pure pleasure of it.
Here’s to my last bid day:
2012
2015
Perhaps one of the most incredible experiences I have had at the University of Michigan was joining my sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon. It was late September 2012 when I opened a white envelope, inviting me to join the sisterhood. As I walked up to 1520 South University Avenue with a few of my new sisters, I saw a smiling girl with a sign that said “Welcome Home, Sari”. I shook of excitement, but at the same time, I was nervous. Was this really going to be my home? I did not yet realize the great value behind Greek Life at this school.
Going to a large school can be difficult, even for outgoing people like myself. It is difficult not to get overwhelmed by the vast amount of people around you, to find your niche, and to always find people willing to do things with. While my first month of school was filled with new friends, I was still finding my place. As soon as I joined D-Phi-E, I was no longer overwhelmed. I now had a place to eat meals, I always had a calendar of events set up for me, and I had a place to study. But most importantly, I had a group of funny, smart, and kind girls that I could do all of these things with, a group that I did not have to actively seek out. The few girls that I have become exceptionally close with here have become my emotional rocks throughout my college experience–including my “little” who has become my best friend. Each bid day has given me roughly 60 new, smiling faces to wave at on campus, eat meals with, and tell jokes to. Each time the girls have arrived on bid day, I have felt nothing but excitement. My last bid day felt different. It felt melancholy. There is so much for these new girls to look forward to: mixers, recruitment, sisterhood dates, bigs, littles, and plenty of surprises. There are so many memories they have yet to make, yet I am almost done making mine. While I do not know where I will be at this time next year, all I know is that I will be away from my best friends, the people who have made my college experience full of life, love, and memories.
My time at the University of Michigan has had a profound impact on my life. I have gone from being a small freshman that had no specific goals or ambitions to a mature adult with a truly defined path. As I continue to have many more “last” experiences, I will try to smile; however, I find it hard to hold back my tears, because I know that being a student at the University of Michigan is an irreplaceable experience and I am not ready to give it up. To the class of 2019: cherish your time here while you have it, because it will be gone in the blink of an eye.
Images courtesy of: Campus Information at the University of Michigan