TBT to when we were in Kindergarten and everyone wanted to be an astronaut or a doctor or the president when they grew up. As five year olds, we had no idea what we were talking about. We had no clue we’d have to go to college and med school and work long hours at a hospital to become a doctor. We had no clue we’d have to study political science and run for office to ever have a chance at becoming president. Those were the good days, when the only thing that mattered was taking a nap and being the first out the door to recess.
Move ahead about 16 years, and here we are—seniors in college. The only thing between us and the real world is two semesters and a walk across the stage at graduation. Suddenly the saying, “have fun while you’re young” has become so relevant, even though we’ve heard it from hundreds of people all our lives. So is this it? IS THIS THE LAST YEAR OF YOUTH? Is this where the graying of hair begins?!?
Fear not, we aren’t old yet. We’re about to become the newbies of the real world. SOS.
We’ve spent our entire lives in a desk in school; so naturally, we have no idea how to be normal, functioning citizens. We really don’t know about anything that goes on outside of a classroom. We don’t know about that 9-5 life, or how to buy house, or how to provide for anyone other than ourselves (but thank god we know how to do statistics, am I right?).
Honestly, I can’t believe we even made it to this point. Sitting in Spanish class freshman year of high school, college seemed so far off. It felt like it would actually never end. Day to day, the hours went by slowly, as we wasted away in world history. But looking back, the weeks and years are all a blur, and then BOOM. We’re almost graduates. Time literally flew by.
Now, as we’re putting the finishing touches on college, reality is hitting hard. No more school means time to get a job, pay those bills, find a husband…? (LOL jk boys are still stupid). Our time is almost up. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s small, buried beneath a few more credit hours of work and internships, but it’s there, and it gets bigger every day.
It’s bittersweet, really. As I enter my last year as college student, I keep reminding myself to make the most of the time I have left, and to take every opportunity that presents itself. This time next year, I could be halfway across the world from my best friends, my party crew, and the professors who have guided me this far. College will just be a memory (sobbing).
So this year, don’t get so caught up in careers and adult life that you let the year pass you by. That stuff is important, but there’ll be plenty of time to worry about in the future. You want to remember these years as some of the best of your life. Enjoy it. Work hard, but enjoy it.
Real life is just around the corner, and it’ll be here before we know it.