My freshman year feels like it was a lifetime ago, but at the same time it feels like it was yesterday. Since the first day of my freshman year to now, there have been so many laughs shared, memories made and friendships formed. Looking back on my time at UP, I have seen myself grow and change into the person I am today.
I have seen the many opportunities and communities that have shaped me and given me the space to be myself. I have seen my knowledge of both the material I studied and the world around me expand through all the classes I’ve taken and the experiences around the local, national and international communities.
Reflecting back on these experiences has made me realize that I only have so many more days to make more memories, so many more days to create and complete my UP bucket list, so many more days to spend time with the friends around me, while we are still together, and so many more days until I go through another big transition in life.
After talking to a few friends, I have come to realize that I’m not alone in my mixed emotions toward senior year. I have also begun to think about what I want to this final year to be: one full of memories and experiences that leave me with no regrets of missing out.
For those of us who are graduating this year, this is it!
The nervousness and excitement of graduation being just around the corner are both valid and confusing emotions. Yet, if there is one thing I have learned so far, it’s that you can’t go through this year like any other year, otherwise you’ll miss out and regret the opportunities you didn’t take. This is the time to spend with those friends you care about, to go to those events and clubs’ meetings that you have always wanted to go to.
Now is the time to make those bucket lists and to take on challenges and continue to grow. This is the time to not just plan for the future but to also be present to those around you, because this is it!
