Whether you’ll be done with school for good or filling out Grad school applications come fall, your final first day of Undergrad can leave you with a mixed bag of emotions. There’s happiness, of course: you’ve survived hundreds of tests, papers, and projects and a good few all-nighters, and that’s something to be proud of. There’s definitely some sadness too, when you realize that it’s your last year, last football season, and last chance to make those college memories that are supposed to stay with you for a lifetime. Of course there’s also fear when you realize that you’ll soon be leaving the safety of The Forty Acres and venturing out into (dun dun dun) the real world.
It’s easy to forget how strong we are, especially as we stand on the precipice of a new journey with only a vague idea of where we’re going. Though the future may seem scary, we’ve been through these changes before: were we not even the tiniest bit afraid of leaving home and coming to college in the first place? Did we not look upon the sheer size of the UT campus with a lot of awe and a little foreboding? We may have settled into our comfortable little niches at this point, but don’t forget that this much adjustment took time. We should be proud of the experiences we’ve opened ourselves up to and the hundreds of people we’ve met, even if all of them haven’t stuck around until the end.
We’ll miss a lot of things about UT, whether it’s something as big as seeing the Tower lit up after a game or as small as walking by the turtle pond on our way to class. We’ll miss the stunning view of the Texas State Capitol from the South Mall and hearing the judgmental ringing of the Tower bells letting us know that, yes, we are late again for our 8 AM class. We’ll even miss catching the last bus to Sixth and the long, barefoot walk back to campus when you don’t feel like shelling out for an Uber.
Most of all, we’ll miss the camaraderie that comes with being a Longhorn. Whether it’s within your sorority, major, or even just your group of friends, there’s something so special about going through this journey and growing together. Through all of our victories and defeats, we have over 50,000 other people on this campus who are experiencing it right along with us. No, burnt orange might not be the most attractive color, but we love it because it’s ours (and at least we all look ridiculous together). We even have our own nationally recognized emblem that allows us to make friends and connections long after we graduate; Longhorns stick together, no matter where life takes us.
Whether you started at UT as a freshman or came in later, this campus is really a home-away-from-home for us all. It’s okay to be sad and shed a tear every now and then when you think about what you’ll be leaving behind (you’re talking to the girl who bawled like a baby at her last Theatre&Dance Convocation), but remember that your time at UT has shaped you into someone with the means to change the world. Talk to your professors, advisors, or the people at UT Career Services; most of them will be more than happy to help you on your way. There’s no need to fear the future because, at a university this big, you’re never alone.
College is an amazing time of self-discovery mixed with wild nights, long days, and hard lessons. Closing such a monumental chapter in our relatively young lives is always a little heartbreaking, but it’s the ending that makes it wonderful; if these years lasted forever, they wouldn’t be nearly as special. Maybe in twenty years, you won’t remember every party or every football game, but you’ll remember the friends you’ve made and the person you became during your time at the best university in the world. Don’t be scared of the future, Longhorns. Enjoy your final year, make the best of every moment, and get ready to go out and start changing the world.