“Some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next… Delicious ambiguity.” – Gilda Radner
Hello and welcome back, collegiettes! The fall is here, and so another year of college begins. After a summer of relaxation, fun, and adventure, it is time to trade in the bikinis for books. This transition back into reality is never an easy one, but it always provides you with another chapter and another chance at greatness.
A jam-packed schedule of difficult courses, various extracurricular activities, a job, and a social life can be hard to jump back into, but the hustle and bustle of this time of year always brings great opportunities and accomplishments. Sometimes this notion can get lost in the madness, but we have to remind ourselves that it is all worth it in the end.
As actress and comedian Gilda Radner expressed, sometimes the craziness and uncertainty of the journey is what keeps life exciting. Life is not about preemptively knowing what each day is going to bring, but rather about taking each day as it comes. We students tend to get stressed at this time of year because of the huge changes our lives take with new classes, new schedules, new commitments, and new challenges. Although this is a normal reaction to have, it isn’t necessarily the best one.
All we can do is live life one day at a time, do our best in each and every one of our endeavors, believe we are given nothing we cannot handle and have faith that we are destined for something wonderful. Today’s bad exam grade does not determine tomorrow’s term paper grade, and today’s bad fortune does not dictate tomorrow’s turn of events.
When you become overwhelmed, keep in mind that when you look back on your college years, you will not remember that 10-page research paper or that extremely tough professor. You will remember the gamedays, the road trips, and the nights that turned out to be surprisingly good with the people you love. You will remember the orange and blue, the beautiful campus, and the sound of UF’s marching band. These are the things worth remembering. They are the things you did not expect and the situations you made the best of. Keep this in mind and at heart as you get back into the swing of things, and always remember that your years as a Gator will be one of the most deliciously ambiguous times of your life. Embrace them; enjoy them; and, cherish them.
After all, you never know what might happen next.