This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
How to: College
Life is short. College is even shorter. As the end of this semester rolls around, we say goodbye to our spring classes, our senior friends, and another year of the alleged “best years of our lives”.
Four years isn’t long, so we need to make the most of it. If there’s anything I learned from the tear-filled speeches from my sorority’s seniors at their last chapter, it’s the importance of investing time in friendships and making memories. We spend far too much time every day stressing over the test we have next week or how impossible our hair is being, and spend far too little time enjoying our friends and the time we have with them now.
Balance is key. I’m not saying you should abandon all your responsibilities because unfortunately college does entail, well, classes; I’m just urging you not to let your to-do list bog you down and make you miss out on the little things that will eventually mean the most. You should constantly be making new friends, trying new things, and pursuing new interests. Sometimes, wine night with the girls takes priority over your history textbook, and sometimes comforting a friend through a break up gets done before the laundry.
We have to learn to live for today without dwelling on today. The day you felt unproductive because you got caught up talking to a friend over an unintentionally long lunch break will mean so much more to you in the long run than the quiz you stressed over the next day. You’ll stop regretting the test you didn’t prepare enough for freshman year, but you’ll never stop regretting the friendships you missed out on making because you didn’t make the time.
So what should we do to make the most of our 4 years?
1. Enjoy your education.
Take a couple classes not because you have to, but because they interest you.
2. Make a college bucket list.
Make it specific to your school and don’t be afraid to stray outside your comfort zone.
3. Sit with someone new at lunch. Maybe you’ve talked to her before, but you’re not that close. Sitting with her and asking how her day has been could start a friendship more meaningful than you ever imagined.
4. Say yes to going out spontaneously on a weekday.
It could be the best night you’ve had in months.
5. Plan studying ahead of time
It sounds like a buzzkill, but this just means you won’t be that girl who went out and is now freaking out because she has a paper due tomorrow she completely forgot about.
6. Go to your football games
Tailgates included, go to every game you can. Same applies for other sports like baseball, show some school spirit!
7. Explore your campus
There’s probably a lot of it you haven’t seen.
8. Cherish every moment
If you don’t now, you will later.